Around  THE  WORLD 

WITH  EYES 
WIDE  OPEN 


The  Wonders  of  the 
World  Pictured  by  ^ 
^  Pen  and  Pencil  -^ 


BY. 


H.  Allen  Tupper,  Jr„  d.d. 

Author  of  "Armenia:  Its  Present  Crisis  and  Past  History,"  "Columbia's  War  for 
Cuba,"  "Uncle  Allen's  Trip  Through  Palestine,"  Etc. 


Published  by 
THE  CHRISTIAN  HERALD 

Louis  Klopsch,  Proprietor 

Bible  House,  New  York 

1898 


Copyright,  1898,  LOUIS  KLOPSCH. 


DEDICATION 


Tu  my  wife 

MARIE 


and 


my  children 
Allene,  Katherine  and  Tristram 

This  volume 
is  lovingly  dedicated 

H.  Allen  Tupper.  Jr. 


How  IT  ^  ^  -9^ 

•  Happened  ^  ^ 


T  happened  in  this  way.  In  the 
spring  of  1895,  a  liandsome  map 
of  the  world  was  presented  me 
by  a  friend  at  Baltimore;  and 
while    glancing    at    it,    hanging 


f^on  my  study  wall,  I  arose  from 
my  desk-chair,  one  quiet   mid- 
night hour,  and  traced  with  my 
pencil   a   route   from    Baltimore, 
over  the  American  Continent,  to 
San     Francisco,    thence    to    the 
Hawaiian  islands,  Japan,  China,  Malay  Archipelago,  Ceylon,  India, 
Assam,   Arabia,  Africa,    Palestine,   Syria,  Asia  Minor,  Europe,  and 
back   again  to  the  Monumental  City.     This  was   only  on  paper  I 

But,  day  by  day,  as  my  eyes  turned  wistfully  toward  the  map, 

(5) 


6  HOW   IT   HAPPENED. 

which  now  became  increasingly  fascinating,  the  desire  of  my 
life  to  visit  the  countries  of  the  world,  and  study  the  peoples 
of  earth,  grew  into  a  determination  to  start  upon  this  circuit  of 
the  globe  at  the  earliest  practicable  moment.  Difficulties  which 
seem  insurmountable,  frequently  fade  away  as  you  approach 
them.  Distance  not  only  lends  enchantment  to  the  view,  but 
oftentimes  it  disenchants,  by  seemingly  magnifying  the  obstacles 
that  lie  in  the  pathway  of  our  goal.  The  only  way  to  do  a 
thing  is  to  do  it.  Events  conspire  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  a 
determined  purpose.  A  few  months  after  the  pencil-tracing  on 
the  map  was  made,  I  waved  farewell  to  my  loved  ones  at  the 
Union  Station,  Baltimore,  and  was  off — moving  toward  the  setting 
sun.  While  I  expected  to  receive  much  pleasure  from  the 
extended  trip  before  me,  this  was  not  the  supreme  motive  that 
actuated  me.  1  decided,  in  my  journeyings,  frequently  to  turn 
aside  from  the  usual  route  pursued  by  the  globe-trotter :  to 
rough  it  while  studying  the  customs  and  characteristics  of 
natives  far  from  the  treaty  ports  ;  systematically  to  record  my 
impressions  and  the  results  of  my  study,  on  the  ground,  day 
by  day,  while  they  were  fresh  in  my  mind  :  to  illustrate  these 
strange  scenes  and  interesting  studies  both  by  the  pen  and  the 
photographic  art ;  and  to  present  to  the  public  a  book  on  travel 
that  would  be  somewhat  unique  in  its  character.  If  I  have 
enabled  others  to   share  with   me  the  pleasures  and  profits  of 


HOW   IT  HAPPENED.  7 

my  visits  to  many  lands  and  among  many  peoples,  and  if  I 
have  evoked  or  strengthened  a  desire  for  travel  in  the  minds  of 
the  readers  of  these  pages,  my  pen  has  not  written  in  vain. 
In  the  words  of  the  "Two  Gentlemen  of  Verona,"  we  find 
nothing  wiser  than  this : 

"  1  rather  would  entreat  thy  company 
To  see  the  wonders  of  the  world  abroad, 
Than,  living  dully  sluggardized  at  home, 
Wear  out  thy  youth  with  shapeless  idleness." 

H.  Allen  Tupper,  Jr. 


-^1      CONTENTS.      h^ 

^^(^^  "C>  ^-  ^*  ^  "^  •C*  ^-  "^  'C-'^-  -C-  ^'  ■^-  'C-  "C*  ^  ■^-  ^-  ■^'*5'-  ^* 


CHAPTER  II. 
LAND  OF  THE  SUNRISE. 

Dropping  a  day  in  mid-ocean,  at  the  world^s  halfway  point — Beaiitifnl  Yeddo  Bay  and 
snnUt  Fuji-Yama — Strange  street  scenes — Chrysanthemum  show — A  thrifty  race — 
A  bit  of  Japanese  history — Social  life — Marriage  customs — Status  of  woman — 
Division  of  society — Educational  development  and  .foreign  influence — National 
decorative  art — The  jinrikisha,  an  American  invention — Newspaper  and  censor- 
ship— Railroad  and  telegraph  rates — The  funeral  of  Prince  Kitashirakawa — A 
brilliant  cortege — ^Japan,  after  victory — Resolved  to  become  a  military  and  naval 
power — Her  ambition  and  anxiety — Russia  may  reap  the  fruits  of  her  success — 

(9) 


PAGK. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ACROSS  A  CONTINENT  AND  AN  OCEAN. 

Colorado's  carnival  and  festival  of  mountain  and  plain — The  Garden  of  the  Gods — The 
wonderland  of  the  Rockies — The  grave  of  Helen  Hunt  Jackson — Sierra  Blanca's 
Triple  Peak — Through  the  Toltec  Tunnel — The  Holy  Cross— Our  new  sister,  Utah — 
At  the  Golden  Gate — Cosmopolitan  San  Francisco — Chinatown — The  Paradise  of 
the  Pacific — The  Sandwich  Islands — Volcanic  origin — The  House  of  the  Ever- 
lasting Fire — Historical  places  and  people — Captain  Cook's  "monument — The  lej^er 
settlement  on  Molokai  Island  Father  Damiens — Business  prospects  and  the  annexa- 
tion question — President  McKinley  and  the  treaty  of  annexation — The  Hawaiian 
tongue 33-47 


lo  CONTENTS. 


PAOB. 


Acquisition  of  Formosa,  and  preponderance  in  Corea— Secret  treaty  between  China 
and  the  Czar— How  the  eastern  breezes  blow— Japan's  new  attitude — The  ascend- 
ancy of  the  Samurai — Effect  on  western  merchants  and  missionaries      4^72 


CHAPTER  III. 
THE  INTERIOR  OF  JAPAN. 

Characteristic  features  of  its  people  and  products— Farm  and  village  life— The  harvest 
festival— Native  industries— Process  of  silkmaking — Lacquer  work — In  the  Mikado's 
palace— A  beautiful  inland  sea— Where  Li  Hung  Chang  was  shot— A  unique  experi- 
ence in  a  native  hotel — In  the  mountains  of  Japan— The  shrines  and  temples  of 
Nikko — One  of  Japan's  five  wonders— Monkeys  in  the  mountains— Curious  con- 
tracts— The  two-legged  horse,  and  the  two- wheeled  carriage— Instructive  statistics       73-^ 


CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  LAND  OF  THE  PIG=TAIL. 

The  most  important  city  of  Central  China— The  street  sights  of  the  Native  city— A 
typical  tea-shop — Questionable  water-supply,  and  epidemics— The  opium  trade- 
Curious  customs  of  contrary  creatures — Historico- political  review  of  the  Middle 
Kingdom— Her  government  and  money — The  Empire  larger  than  the  whole  of 
Europe— The  Manchou  dynasty  and  hierarchy  a  corrupt  administration— Foreign 
influences — Taxes  and  revenues — The  Imperial  Cabinet,  Censorate  and  ofl&cials— 
The  national  militia — The  navy — Fortifications 87-102 


CHAPTER  V. 

STRANGEST  OF   STRANGE  CITIES. 

Canton,  China's  commercial  capital — Its  approach  by  Hong  Kong — A  floating  city  of 
two  hundred  thousand  souls— The  Pearl  river— Description  of  the  sights  in  the 
narrow  streets— A   Chinese    dwelling— Sacred    hogs— Hideous    idols— The    leper 


CONTENTS.  It 

village — Slavery  of  blind  girls  in  Canton— Human  beings  bought  and  sold  as 
chattels— Recent  massacres  and  riots — The  Kucheng  atrocities— The  leader's  con- 
fession-Characteristic traits  of  John  Chinaman's  conduct,  dress  and  head-gear — 
Process  of  foot-binding — The  condition  of  woman — Female  fancy,  sports  and 
superstition— The  dragon  emblem — Food  and  markets— Capital  punishment — The 
beggars'  guild   ...        103-122 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LANGUAGE  AND  LITERATURE  IN  THE  HIDDLE  KINGDOM. 

Classification  of  John  Chinaman's  tongue— Style  of  writing — Divisions  of  speech — 
Many  dialects— The  Mandarin  tongue — Puzzling  intonation — Multiplicity  of  verbs- 
Spoken  and  book  language  diflferent — Development  of  the  memory  and  imitative 
faculty — Civil  service  examinations — Degrees  and  promotions — Attempts  at  a  for- 
eign tongue — Funny  illustrations  of  Pidgin  English — An  English  colony  among 
the  Celestials — Opium  a  harbinger  to  Christian  missions — Hatred  of  the  "Outer 
Barbarians  " — How  Hong  Kong  became  British — Effect  of  English  literature  upon 
art  and  language .    = 123-135 


CHAPTER  VII. 
IN  THE  MALAY  ARCHIPELAGO. 

Near  the  Equator — Climate,  productions  and  various  races— Land  of  perpetual  sum- 
mer— Adami  mode  of  life — Volcanic  belt — Malays  and  Papuans — The  island  of 
Singapore — A  babel  of  tongues — Unwelcome  neighbors — Forest  of  cocoanut  trees — 
Penang's   bronze   population — The   palace   of   the    Sultan   of  Johore — Fields   of 


12  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

research  for  the  naturalist — A  comical  creature— The  oraug  outang  at  home— His 
domestic  virtues — Dignity  of  demeanor  and  elevation  of  character— The  birds  of 
Paradise— Their  brilliant  plumage  and  varieties 136-151 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  SPICY  BREEZES  OF  CEYLON. 

Tour  through  forest  and  jungles— Topography,  flora  and  fauna  of  the  island — Frag- 
rant gardens  and  population — In  the  Alpine  regions  of  the  Kandyan  Kingdom — 
Strange  sights  in  and  about  a  Ceylonese  town — Buddha's  great  tooth — Ceylon's  tea 
cultivation — Extremes  in  Ceylon — A  swell  Singhalese  wedding — Painted,  powdered 
and  brilliantly  costumed  creatures — In  a  marriage  procession  along  the  Indian 
Ocean — The  wild  men  of  Ceylon— A  strange  tribe  of  savages — The  interview  with 
Arabi  Pasha,  the  Egyptian  reformer 152-177 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  OF  INDIA. 

Pleasurable  embarrassment  on  leaving  Ceylou — Elephants  on  hand — Across  the  Bay  of 
Bengal — Breakwaters  on  the  Coromandel  coast — The  city  of  Madras,  and  its  sacred 
and  secular  sights — Curious  canoes — Black  and  white  town — The  people's  park, 
churches  and  school — Shops  and  bazaars — Dancing  girls — The  Seven  Pagodas — 
Erom  Madras  to  Calcutta — India's  political  capital — The  City  of  Palaces — Remini- 
•scences  of  Charnoock,  Clive  and  Warren  Hastings— Historic  spots — The  shrine  of 
the  Goddess  Kali — Cremation  of  the  dead — The  wonderful  banyan  tree — King 
Oude's  palace 178-196 


CONTENTS.  13 


CHAPTER  X. 
IN  THE  HIHALAYAS. 


PAGE. 


Ascending  the  mountains  on  a  toy  railway — Grandest  work  of  engineering  in  the 
world — City  in  the  clouds — vStupendous  magnificence  of  Alpine  scenery — The 
"  Hall  of  Snows,"  viewing  Mount  Everest — A  picture  impossible  to  forget,  and 
impossible  to  paint — Changes  of  vegetation — Interesting  types  of  people—  The 
market  of  Darjeeling — Himalayan  tea — Railway  system  in  Northern  India  and 
Assam — Sleeping  cars  that  encourage  domestic  economy — Crossing  the  mountains — 
Verdant  delusion — Amusing  scenes  in  the  wilds  of  Assam — On  the  sacred  river  of 
Brahmaputra — ^Fine  hunting  grounds — In  a  bungalow  forest  hotel — Its  guests  and 
their  criticisms — An  erratic  timepiece 197-212 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  WONDERS  OF  INTERIOR  INDIA. 

Benares  on  the  Ganges — One  of  the  oldest  known  habitations  of  man — Wheie  Buddha 
arose — A  shrine  of  pilgrimage  for  the  Hindu  world — Bathing  in  the  holy  waters 
of  the  Ganges — The  burning  ghats — Smoking  pyres — The  monkey  temple — The 
Holy  Man  of  Benares — Ed-fices  dedicated  to  cattle — Brasswork  and  brocades — An 
elegy  in  marble — The  Taj  Mairal  at  Agra — The  most  superb  monument  ever  reared 
to  woman — When  Mohammedan  architecture  reached  its  climax — Shah  Jehan  raid 
Arjamand,  "The  Exalted  One  of  the  Palace  "—Reign  of  the  Moguls— The  mag- 
nificent palaces  and  mosques  at  Delhi — vStreets  full  of  monkeys — An  Indian  wolf- 
man — His  life  in  the  caves  and  jungles — Failure  to  teach  him  human  habits — His 
capture,  training  and  h.ibits — India's  independent  State  and  native  rulers — Great 
Britain's  sovereignty— The  Maharajah  Mardozing — His  capital  and  palaces — A 
ride  on  elephant-back— Marvelous  oriental  decorations  and  jewels,  gold  and  silver 
cannon 213-250 


34  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIL 
THE  QUEEN  OF  THE  EAST  AND  INDIAN  HOSAICS. 


PA«« 


The  commercial  metropolis  of  India — Its  motley  population — Religious  sects,  and 
antagonistic  creeds — Where  vegetarianism  flourishes — Veneration  for  animal  life 
among  the  Banians — A  warrior  class — The  Parsees,  followers  of  Zoroaster,  fire- 
worshipers — Curious  head-dress — The  towers  of  silence — Strange  disposition  of 
the  dead — Filth  and  holiness — Brilliant  scenes — The  Island  of  Elephanta — An 
asylum  for  animals — Photograph  of  Indian  life — People  of  various  colors,  customs 
and  languages — Indo- Caucasian  races — Use  of  tobacco  and  intoxicants — Sacred 
tnenths  and  the  New  Year — A  marriage  procession — Women's  ornaments — The 
Nautch  dancers — A  maharajah's  audience,  and  his  premiere  danseuse — The  Indian 
mutiny,  causes  of  the  revolt — Nana  Sahib's  perfidy — The  defence  of  Lucknow — 
The  present  uprising — Caste  and  outcasts — A  personal  experience — Marks  on  the 
forehead — Famine  in  India — Dr.  Klopsch  and  the  Christian  Herald 251-262 


CHAPTER   Xni. 
FAREWELL  TO  INDIA,  GREETING  TO  EGYPT, 

Through  the  Arabian  and  Red  seas — The  Arab  on  his  native  heath — The  Suez  canal — 
The  marriage  of  the  Mediterranean  and  Red  seas — Planned  by  the  Pharaohs — Na- 
poleon Bonaparte's  foiled  project — Perseverance  and  personality  of  De  Lesseps,  the 
constructor — England's  hostile  attitude — A  new  era  in  commerce — Cost  of  the  canal 
— Cuts  through  historic  land — Three  Egypts — Land  of  Arabian  Nights— In  the 
streets  of  Cairo— The  gateway  of  the  Ali,  and  the  paths  of  Harun-al-Raschid— 
Scenes  from  Thousand  and  One  nights — Bazars  and  public  buildings — Picturesque 
costumes — Saracenic  architecture — Mohammedan  homes  and  women — Mosques  and 
citadel— The  Dervishes 263-277 


CONTENTS.  15 

CHAPTER    XIV. 
THE  HISTORIC  NILE  AND  THE  EXCAVATOR'S  PICK-AXE. 

PAOB. 

The  divisions  of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt — The  Valley  of  the  Nile — Centre  of  ancient 
culture — The  Delta  fertility — Characteristic  scenes  on  the  historic  stream — ^The 
Nubians — The  Lybian  hills — L,ife  as  it  existed  thousands  of  years  ago — A  wonder- 
land of  history — The  sacred  sycamore  tree — ^Where  Joseph  married  Potiphar'a 
daughter — Splendor  and  records  of  Memphis — Sakkarah's  Necropolis,  the  Apis 
mausoleum — The  Temple  of  Osiris  and  the  tablet  of  the  Kings — Abydos  and  the 
Memnonium — The  portraits  of  Cleopatra  and  Csesarion — Wondrous  Thebes,  the 
Citj-of  a  Hundred  Gates  of  Homer's  verse — Its  unearthed  monuments — The  hugest 
statue  ever  cut  out  of  a  single  stone — ^The  twin  colossi — Vocal  Memnon — ^Tombs  of 
the  Kings — Temples  of  Luxor  and  Karnak — The  Hall  of  Columns  and  its  sculptured 
records — An  Egyptian  enc5'clop3edia,  carved  by  the  chisel — The  Island  of  Philae 
— Saved  from  the  Vandals — Traces  and  theories  of  the  prehistoric  man — Explora- 
tions during  the  last  year — Explorations  of  Professor  Flinders  Petrie — ^The  dis- 
covery of  "  The  Sayings  of  Christ  " 27^-304 


CHAPTER  XV. 
THE  GREAT  PYRAniDS  AND  THE  ANCIENT  EGYPTIANS. 

"Whv  were  the  Pyramids  built? — Psychological  theories  of  the  Egyptians — The  tomb 
an  eternal  home — The  sepulchre  of  Cheops — Its  grandeur  and  dimensions — 
The  interior  and  contents — The  legend  of  Queen  Nitocris,  the  Loreley  of  the  Nile — 
The  Great  Sphynx  of  Gizeh — A  mysterious  statue  hewn  in  the  living  rock — Whence 
came  the  original  Egyptians? — ^The  aboriginal  race — Bible  lore  and  picture  record 
— Effect  of  inter-marriage  with  Semitic  people — The  Egyptian  of  to-day  an  exact 
reproduction  of  his  ancestors — The  Fellahin — The  Copts  of  Upper  Egypt,  and  their 
religion — Bedouins,  Greeks  and  other  elements — Alexandria  as  it  was,  and  now  is 
— Anglo-Egyptian  expedition  up  the  Nile 305-333 


l6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
PILGRinS  IN  PALESTINE,  THE  HOLY  CITY. 

From  Egypt  to  Syria — The  city  of  Jaffa — Approaching  the  Holy  City— Pilgrims  to  the 
holy  sepulchre — Bird's-eye  view  of  the  city  of  the  great  king — Work  of  the  Pales- 
tine exploration  fund — The  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre— The  Mosque  of  Omar 
— The  sacred  rock — The  praying  places  of  Abraham,  Elijah,  David,  Solomon  and 
Mohammed — The  Via  Dolorosa — The  Jews'  wailing  place — The  mountains  round 
about  Jerusalem — The  site  of  Calvary  and  the  sepulchre — Traditional  localities  are 
not  the  true  ones — St.  Helena's  Dream — Major  Conder's  discovery — Probable  sites 
of  the  Crucifixion,  and  the  rock-hewn  grave —Inferences 334-357 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

PEOPLES  AND  PLACES  OF  THE  SOUTH  AND  NORTH. 

Among  the  Bedouins — An  American  guide's  story — Life  and  habits  of  migrator}-  robber 
tribes — A  missionary  adventure — Home  of  Eli  and  Samuel — At  Jacob's  well — The 
Samaritans — On  Mount  Gerizim — The  City  of  Samaria    ...,...,.   o..    .    35S-363 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

IN  SADDLE  AND  TENT. 

Records  of  Bethel — Footsteps  of  the  Saviour — The  Plain  of  Esdraelon  and  the  Valley  of 

Jezreel — Mount  Tabor — Nazareth,  scenes  of  Christ's  youth — The  Virgin's  fountain 

— Cana  and  the  Mount  of  Beatitude — The  last  battlefield  of  the  Crusaders — On  the 

Sea  of   Galilee — Divine   associations— Camping    near  Capernaum,    Bethsaida   and 

Chorazin— Moonlight  sail  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake 364-376 


CONTENTS.  17 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
THE  EYE  OF  THE  EAST. 

PAGE. 

Damascus,  the  Eye  of  the  East,  reared  before  the  time  of  Abraham — The  stream  of  Leb- 
anon— Beautiful  environments  of  modern  Damascus — Its  l)azars  and  streets — The 
fanaticism  of  the  people — The  unspeakable  Turk — Paul's  conversion  and  his  stay 
in  the  city — The  marvelous  ruins  of  Baalbec — Sun  worship,  and  temples — Courts 
and  porticoes — Sun's  trilithon — The  quarries  of  Lebanon 375-3^1 


CHAPTER  XX. 
IN  ASIA  MINOR. 


The  Levant — Smyrna,  the  capital  of  Anatolia — Centre  of  the  caravan  trade  of  Asia 
Minor — Busy  streets— Its  glorious  past — Its  antiquities — Birthplace  of  Homer — 
Ephesus,  the  old  capital  of  Ionia — Birthplace  of  Diana — Its  location — Christian 
association — Paul  and  the  Ephesians — Its  ruins — Pagan  and  Christian  record — 
Turkish  tyranny — Official  rottenness — Oppressive  taxation — ^Justice  with  a  vengeance 
— Constantinople,  the  City  of  the  Sultan — Its  beautiful  situation — Its  name  and  his- 
tory— Life  and  scenes — Galata,  on  the  north  of  the  Golden  Horn — Pera,  the  town 
of  Sartari — The  Mosque  of  St.  Sophia — Curious  sepulchral  chapels — The  bazars  and 
the  crowds — A  world  in  miniature — Up  the  Bosphorus 3S2-395 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
A  REIGN  OF  TERROR. 

Appalling  state  of  affairs  in  Armenia — A  plan  of  extermination — Massacre  of  Christians 
at  the  Sultan's  orders — Victims  of  diabolical  torture — Hecatombs  of  martyrs  in  the 
Church  of  Oorfa — Treatment  of  women — Work  of  relief — Who  are  the  Armenians? 
Their  religion  and  clergy — Culture  and  education — Traders  and  farmers — Home 
and  family — An  unmixed  race— The  attitude  of  the  powers — Christian  Herald  work 


i8  CONTENTS. 

PA.O«. 

— ^A  colonization  scheme — Would  it  be  practicable  ? — Missions  in  Turkey — Educa- 
tional influences — Centres  of  light  for  Asia — Thorns  in  the  flesh  of  the  Sultan — Re- 
capitulation of  the  situation 396-430 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
AMIDST  THE  CLASSIC  RUINS  OF  GREECE. 

The  Acropolis  of  Athens  and  the  age  of  Hellenic  art — ^The  gates  of  the  Propylaea  and  the 
Parthenon — Embodiment  of  majesty  and  grace — Sculptured  decorations — Work  of 
Phidias — In  the  time  of  Pericles — Theatres  and  temples — Statue  of  Athene — St. 
Paul  on  Mar's  Hill — Theatre  of  Dionysus — Superiority  of  the  Greek  stage  over  the 
Modern — The  decline  of  Hellas — Dr.  Schliemann's  excavations,  and  Homer's  poems 
— An  inspiring  helpmate — Historic  Troy — Homer's  testimony — Ancient  art  of  writ- 
ing— Americans  at  the  Olympic  games — Athenian  parliamentary  election  on 
Sunday : 421-431 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

A  OEH  OF  THE  SEAS. 

Ascension  of  Vesuvius  on  foot — At  the  crater's  mouth — The  twenty-fourth  of  August  0/ 
seventy -nine — ^The  historical  aspect  of  Vesuvius— Destruction  of  Pompeii,  and  the 
death  of  Pliny,  the  naturalist — A  dead  city — Excavations  and  discoveries — Streets 
and  structure  of  houses  in  the  buried  city — A  Roman  summer  resort — Antiquities — 
Lifting  the  veil  between  the  present  and  the  past 432-444 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
THE  CITY  OF  THE  C/ESARS. 

The  facts  and  fables  of  Rome 445-457 


CONTENTS. 


19 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


PA««. 


GENOA  AND  GIBRALTAR. 

An  ancient  town's  republican  career — The  ages  and  palaces  of  the  Doges — The  modern 
history  of  Genoa — Reminiscences  of  Garibaldi — Home  of  Christopher  Columbus — 
The  key  to  the  Mediterranean  Sea — Strait  of  Gibraltar — An  impregnable  citadel — 
A  necessity  for  England — Its  history  and  description — Its  caves  and  Moorish  occu- 
pation— The  town  of  Gibraltar — Across  the  Atlantic  and  home  again 458-464 


'^^SiJil^s^Q^*— 


-4     ILLUSTRATIONS,    h 


PAGK. 

Dr.  H.  Allen  Tupper,  Jr 33 

Pike's  Peak  from  Colorado  Springs 34 

Within  the  Gates,  Garden  of  the  Gods 35 

The  "Mountain  of  the  Cross,"  Colorado 36 

The  East  Side  of  East  Temple  Street,  Salt  Lake  City 37 

Sacramento  Canon,  California 38 

San  Francisco  and  the  Golden  Gate 39 

The  Royal  Palace,  Honolulu,  Hawaiian  Islands 41 

Hawaiian  Girls  in  Floral  Garlands »    • 43 

Honolulu  Pineapple  Grove 45 

A  Hawaiian  Grass  Hut  and  its  Occupants 46 

Laborer  of  the  Cooley  Class 49 

Gambling  in  Japan 5° 

Buddhist  Temple,  Nikko,  Japan      5^ 

Interior  Buddhist  Temple,  Japan 5^ 

Music  in  the  Home,  Japan 53 

Hair  Arranged  by  Unmarried  Woman,  Japan 54 

Four  Japanese  Ladies      ^■^ 

Japanese  Belles ^ 

Wedding  Procession,  Japan      57 

(21) 


22  ILLUvSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 


Japauese  Girls  Carrying  Babies  ...  5& 

At  School,  Japan 59 

Japanese  Actress 60 

Japanese  Actor 6i 

A  Japanese  Actress 6i 

Japanese  Carriage 62' 

Jinrikisha 63, 

In  the  Home,  Japan 64. 

Japanese  Domestics 65 

Entrance  to  Japanese  Temple 66 

Entrance  to  Sheba  Temple,  Tokio 67 

Tea  Drinking,  Japan 68. 

Mountain  Village,  Japan 69.. 

Fruit  Merchant,  Japan 71 

Rice  Planting,  Japan 74 

Working  with  Silk  Weavers,  Japan 75 

Street  Scene  in  Yokohama,  Japan 76 

Japan  Fan  Dealer 77 

Inland  Sea,  Japan 78 

Favorite  Game  with  Japanese  Girls 79. 

At  Nikko,  Japan 80 

'Work  on  Temple,  Japan 81 

Holy  Horse  before  Buddhist  Temple,  Nikko,  Japan 82- 

Japan  Lady  in  Jinrikisha 84. 

Women  Prisoners,  Shanghai,  China 88. 

Chinese  Barber  Shop,  Shanghai,  China 89. 

The  Golden  Island,  with  Unfinished  Pagoda,  near  Chin  Kiang 90 

The  Art  of  Printing  as  seen  in  Shanghai,  China 91 

River  Scene  at  Kayin,  China 9* 


ILLUSTRATIONS.  33 

rAGB. 

A  Tea  Picker 93 

Farmiug  Operations  in  Southern  China — Plowing  with  an  Ox 94 

Earl  Li  Visiting  General  Grant's  Tomb 95 

The  Pekin  Gate  in  the  Great  Wall  of  China 96 

Exterior  of  the  Royal  Palace,  Pekin,  China 97 

A  Kayin  Plowman 98 

Reception  of  a  Foreign  Ambassador  Ijy  the  Emperor  of  China    ...        99 

A  Nine-inch  Gun,  Chinese  Artillery,  Ready  for  Action .  100 

Native  Farm  in  the  Vicinity  of  Canton,  China lor 

On  the  River,  Canton 104 

A  Chinese  Gentleman's  Home 105 

Temple  at  Ningpo 106 

Bird's-eye  View  of  Canton,  China 107 

The  "Floating  City  "  on  Pearl  River,  Canton,  China 108 

Island  of  the  Little  Orphan  in  the  Yangtze      109 

Redeemed  Blind  Girls  under  Miss  Whilden's  Care,  Canton,  China iii 

Chinese  Gambling  on  the  Roof  of  a  House  at  Canton,  China 113 

Mrs.  Grave's  and  Miss  White's  Girls' School  at  Canton,  China 115 

Bound  Foot  of  Chinese  Woman 117 

The  Beheading  of  Pirates  Near  Hong  Kong,  China 119 

Chinese  Execution,  Canton 121 

Immediately  after  Beheading  of  Pirates  near  Hong  Kong,  China 124 

A  Literary  OflBcer  and  his  Wife -    - 126 

Head  of  a  Pirate  Hung  upon  the  Roadside  at  Canton,  China 128 

Street  Scene,  Hong  Kong,  China 131 

Crematory  at  Canton,  Used  for  Burning  the  Bodies  of  Priests - 132 

Chief  Magistrate,  Shanghai I33 

Farmers  and  their  Wives  Threshing  Rice i34 

Malay  Man    .        137 


24  ILI^USTRATIONS. 

PAGE. 

Natives  of  Singapore 138 

Malay  Children , 140 

Travelers'  Palm,  Singapore 141 

Group  in  Malay  Archipelago 142 

Cocoa 143 

An  Orang-Outang  from  Penang ^ 144 

The  Delicious  Mangosteen,  vSingapore •     ....  145 

An  Orang-Outang  from  Penang — the  Temperance  Uuestion 146 

Papuan  Children      147 

Kandyan  Chief,   or  Headman  ....        •  .    .  149 

A  Kandyan  Girl 150 

Pearl  Fisheries  of  Ce3lon 151 

Talipot  Palm •    •  I53 

Dr.  Tupper  and  ]\Ir.  Harmon  in  Ceylon    . 154 

Talipot  Palm 155 

T^vo-^vheel  Bullock  Cart 156 

Scraping  Cinnamon 157 

Cart  in  Central  Ce3-lon 158 

Ceylonese  Women  and  Girls  on  Tea  Estate 159 

Tea  Blossom  and  Seed 161 

Hoeing  Tea 163 

Women  Sifting  Tea - 165 

Tamils,  Ceylon 166 

Tea  Packing  and  Weighing 167 

Low  Caste  Tamil  Girl 16S 

Mt.  Lavinia  Hotel,  Colombo,  Ceylon 169 

Colombo  High  Caste 170 

Singhalese  Man 171 

An  Elephant  March 172 


ILLUSTRATIONS.  25 

PAGE. 

Arabi  Pasha,  an  Exile  in  Ceylon > 173 

Singhalese  Girl 174 

Malay  Gypsies c            ......  175 

Street  of  Madras 179 

Catamaran  Fishing  Boats,  Madras iSo 

Native  Passenger  Cart,  Madras 181 

Gronp  of  Toddymen,  Madras 182 

Devil  Dancers  of   Madras 183 

Double  Bullock  Raikla,  Madras 184 

A  Thoroughfare  in  Calcutta 185 

A  Madras  Belle 186 

Calcutta  Harbor 187 

Madras  Coolie 188 

Avenue  of  Palms,  Botanical  Garden,  Calcutta 1S9 

Hindu  Sacrifice,  Kali  Ghat,  Calcutta 190 

Great  Banyan  Tree,  Calcutta 191 

River  Front,  Calcutta 192 

Botanical  Gardens,  Calcutta ,    .        193 

Bathing  Ghat,  Calcutta 19,5 

Ascending  the  Himalaj^as 198 

A  Lepcha  Man 199 

Darjeeling  Railvi^ay 200 

A  Lepcha  Woman 201 

The  City  in  the  Clouds,  Darjeeling,  India 202 

A  Rustic  Scene  in  India — Buffalo  Plowing 203 

Darjeeling  Bazaar  Types - 204 

The  Darjeeling  Bazaar 296 

Group  of  Bhooteas,  Darjeeling 209 

Dandy,  Darjeeling,  India 210 


26  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAG-E 

Cart  for  the  High  Caste,  India    .    • 212 

Burning  Ghat,   Benares 215 

A  Mountain  Musician,  India 216 

Buddhist  Festival 217 

Holy  Man 218 

Palace,  Agra,  India 219 

Taj  Mahal.  Agra,  India 221 

Taj  Mahal,  Agra,  India 223 

Taj  Mahal  and  Jumna  River,  India 225 

Entrance  to  Palace,  Delhi,  India 227 

The  Kutub  Miuar,  Delhi 229 

Aurungzelis  Mosque,  Benares 231 

Palace  of  Maharaja  of  Indore,  Benares 233 

An  Indian  Rustic 234 

The  Maharajah  of  Nagpur's  Ghat,  Benares 235 

Llama  With  Praying  Wheel 236 

Dancing  Girl  of  Jeypore,  India 237 

Indian  Actress .....  238 

An  Ornamented  Woman  of  India 239 

Oudh  Exhibition  and  Surroundings,  Lucknow 241 

The  Hooseinabad  Emambara,  Lucknow 243 

vSpecimens  of  Low  Caste 245 

High  Caste  Indian  Woman 246 

Maharajah's  Palace,  Jeypore 247 

Street  Scene,  Calcutta .               249 

Bombay  Harbor 252 

Silent  Tower,  Bombay 253 

A  Hindu  Sacrifice 254 

Mohammedans  at  a  Religious  Festival ,    .        255 


ILLUSTRATIONS.  27 

PAGE. 

Dr.  Tupper  in  Central  India , 256 

The  Indur  Mahal  from  Garden,  Jeypore 257 

Dr.  Tupper  Among  Buddhist  Ascetics,  Bombay 258 

Hindu  Fakir  "Whose  Arms  Have  Been  Up  for  Many  Years  and  Cannot  Take  Them  Down  .  259 

Dr.  Tupper  at  Jeypore,  India 260 

Buddhist  Priestess 261 

Dr.  Tupper  and  Friends  Sailing  Up  the  Red  Sea 264 

The  Port  of  Ismailia,  on  the  Suez  Canal 266 

Street  in  Modern  Cairo •  268 

An  Arab  Family 270 

Lower  Class  Woman,  Cairo 271 

A  Morning  Ride 272 

Dance  Girl,  Cairo 273 

A  Dervish 275 

Dance  of  the    Dervishes 276 

Temple  at  AbydoF        •    • 277 

"Water-wheel  on  the  Nile       279 

Process  of  Ancient  and  Modern  Irrigation  on  the  Nile 281 

Interior  of  Temple  of  Abydos 283 

Our  Nile  Boat 284 

Cleopatra  Portrait  at  Denderah,  on  the  Nile 285 

The  Nile's  Delta 286 

Along  the  Nile 287 

Scene  on  the  Arabian  Desert 289 

The  "Vocal  Memnon 290 

TheSakieh 291 

The  Nile  Water  Carriers 293 

Karnak  in  Ruins      . .        294 

Statue  of  Rameses 295 


28  IIvLUSTRATIONvS. 

PAGE. 

Island  of  Pliilic 296 

Interior  of  Temple,  Edfon,  Nile 297 

Obelisk  at  Luxor      29S 

Interior  of  Temple  of  Kariiak 300 

Hall  of  Columns,  Karnak •  ^02 

The  Temple  of  Pliilas,  Nile , 303 

Road  from  Cairo  to  the  Pyramids 306 

Rameses  II i-ot 

Pyramid  of  Cheops 30S 

A  Nile  Belle 30a 

Sphinx , ^IQ 

Dame  Soudall    .. • -^n 

Cleopatra  at  Denderah -12 

Carving  at  Sakkaral ^^13 

Water  Carrier,  Cairo 31^ 

Young  Negress  in  Soudan 315 

Type  of  the  Negress -^16 

Syrian  Bedouins 317 

Negro  (Soudanese) ^iS 

English  Camel  Corps  Going  Up  the  Nile 319 

Nubian  on  the  Nile 320 

The  First  Cataract 321 

Femme  Abarambou  de  Mambetou  (Equateurj 322 

Nile  Water  Carriers 323 

Soudanese  (Negress) 324 

Egyptian  Dance  Girl 325 

Typical  Oriental  Dragoman      326 

Egyptian  Army  in  Camp 327 

Fellah  Woman      32S 


ILIvUSTRATIONS.  29 

PAGE. 

Scene  in  the  Valley  of  the  Nile 330 

Scene  between  Jaffa  and  Jerusalem 331 

Jordan  River 335 

The  Ancient  Gateway  of  Samarcand,  in  Turkestan 336 

Jerusalem  Merchants      339 

The  Centre  of  the  Karth,  Church  of  the  Holy  vSepulchre,  Jerusalem 340 

Entrance  to  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre 341 

The  "Wailing  Place"  in  Jerusalem      343 

Golgotha 345 

The  "  Ecce  Homo  "  Arch,  Jerusalem 346 

Church  of  Nativity 347 

The  Traditional  Stone  of  hllijah,  near  Bethlehem 349 

A  Bethlehem  Merchant 351 

Gibeon,  the  Scene  of  Solomon's  Sacrifice 354 

Syrian  Peasant  Mother  and  Daughter 357 

Palestine  Mat  Weavers 360 

The  Tomb  of  Joseph,  near  Shechem 361 

Weaving 363 

Farming  in  Valle}-  of  Jezreel 366 

Bird's-eye  View  of  Nazareth 367 

A  Palestine  Bedouin .• 368 

The  Tower  of  Jezreel,  Palestine,  as  it  now  appears 369 

A  Palestine  Burden  Bearer -371 

Group  vShowing  Costumes  of  Palestine  at  Present  Day 373 

Damascus 377 

Woman  Grinding  Flour  at  Damascus 378 

Orphans  in  Camp  on  a  Trip  to  the  Jordan  in  1897 381 

An  Encampment  of  Kurds  in  the  Mountains  of  Asia  Minor 384 

A  Turkish  Pasha 386 


30  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE. 


Sultan's  Mosque 388 

Turkish  Woman 390 

The  Sultan 's  Palace  of  Dolma-Bagtche,  Constantinople 391 

Peasant  Village  Girls  of  Roumania 392 

A  Turkish  Salon  at  Constantinople 394 

Armenian  Fugitives  on  the  Turko- Persian  Border 395 

Recently-made  Armenian  Graves  in  the  Suburb  of  Van 397 

Mohammedan  Women 399 

Armenian  School 401 

Turkish  Society  Woman 403 

A  Group  of  Armenian  Orphan  Boys  of  Cesarea  and  Tabas 405 

An  Armenian  Home 408 

Decorated  by  the  Sultan 410 

A  Typical  Turkish  Dwelling  of  the  Poorer  Class 412 

An  Ancient  Eastern  Church,  now  Desecrated 414 

Armenians  Held  Prisoners  After  the  Trebizond  Massacre 416 

Women  and  Children  Waiting  the  Daily  Distribution  of  Food ...  418 

American  Mission  at  Oorfa 420 

Port  for  Athens 422 

View  of  Athens 424 

Athenian  Excavations 426 

Schliemann's  Excavations,  Old  Troy 42S 

Historic  Troy 429 

A  Classic  Head,  Athens .  430 

Belle  of  Athens 431 

A  Modern  Greek  Maid 433 

A  Modern  Greek      434 

Prison  of  Socrates,  Athens 435 

Acropolis,  .\thens 436 


IlylvUSTRATION  31 

PAGE. 

City  of  Naples,  with  Mt.  Vesuvius  in  the  Background 437 

Grecian  Cadet 439 

Soldier  of  Athens 440 

Athenian  Street  Merchant 442 

Priest  of  the  Greek  Church     . 444 

General  View  of  Rome 446 

St.  Peter's  and  the  Vatican,  Rome 447 

Interior  of  the  Chapel  on  the  Spot  Where  St.  Peter  was  Crucified 448 

Altar  to  the  Unknown  God 449 

The  Vatican,  Rome     .    .    .    . 451 

Excavations  of  the  Forum,  Italy 453 

The  Coliseum,  Rome 454 

Temple  of  Minerva,  Rome 456 

Panorama  of  Genoa 459 

Columbus  Monument,  Genoa  . 461 

Gibraltar 463 


aj^ 


roiiDd  fbe  World 


WITH 


es  Wide  Open 


^^^^ 


(32) 


j^pound  the  wopld    ^ 
With  Eyes  Wide  Open. 


CHAPTER  I. 
ACROSS  A  CONTINENT  AND  AN  OCEAN. 

CROSS  the  continent  in  five  clays  and 
nights,  crossing  eleven  States  and 
covering  3400  miles!  Every  im- 
aginable panorama  passes  before 
the  eye  dnring  this  trip  from  the  Atlantic 
to  the  Pacific — the  cultivated  fields,  the 
quiet  hamlets,  the  crowded  cities,  the 
homes  of  cliff-dwellers,  the  rushing 
rivers,  the  snow-blanketed  mountains, 
and  the  sparkling  bay  opening  into  the 
great  sea.  West  of  Chicago,  until  we 
reach  the  ocean,  Denver  attracts  the  at- 
tention of  the  tourist  more  than  any 
other  cit}'.  Like  white-plumaged  sen- 
tinels, the  snow  capped  peaks  stand 
guard  over  this  pride  of  the  West. 
The  Denver  Carnival. 
Fortunately  we  happened  in  her  streets 
while  the  brilliant  "Carnival  and  Festival  of 
Mountain  and  Plain  "  was  in  full  blast.  The 
city  was  bedecked  in  yellow  and  white  (gold 
and  silver),  the  procession,  composed  of  symbolic  floats,  moved  through  the 
streets,  United  States  troops,  cowboys,  cit}-  officials,  Indians,  members  of  local 
and  national  orders,  school  and  college  youths  fell  into  line,  and,  under  the 
thrill  of  stirring  music  from  string  and  brass  bands,  ever}-  one  caught  the  spirit  of 
the  festival,  which  is  intended  to  lift  the  shadows  and  rift  the  clouds  of  financial 
depression  that  have  cast  gloom  over  the  State  of  Colorado  for  the  last  years. 

Two  hundred  and  seventy  miles  from  Denver,  at  an  elevation  of  10,200  feet, 
we  reach  the  unique  city  of  Leadviile,  one  of  the  richest  placer  camps  in  Colorado, 

3  (33) 


DR.    H.    .\LLEN   TUPPER,  JR. 


34 


AROUND   THE    WORI^D 


knowu  to  fame  in  1859  as  California  Gulch,  where  $5,000,000  in  gold  were  worked 
out  during  five  years.  As  we  dash  out  of  this  picturesque  State  we  are  reminded 
of  the  exclamation  of  Joaquin  Miller:  "Colorado,  rare  Colorado!  Yonder  she 
rests:  her  head  of  gold  pillowed  on   the  Rocky  Mountains,  her  feet  in  the  brown 


PIKE'S   PEAK   FROM    COLORADO   SPRINGS. 


grass;  the  boundless  plains  for  a  playground;  she  is  set  on  a  hill  before  the  world, 
and  the  air  is  very  clear,  so  that  all  may  see  her  well." 


The  Garden  of  the  Gods. 

The  ride  from  Denver  to  San  Francisco  can  never  be  forgotten  by  the  lover 
of  the  beautiful  in  nature.  The  wonderland  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  opens,  hour 
by  hour  before  him,  the  most  enchanting  scenes.  In  the  Garden  of  the  Gods  are 
seen  vivid  suggestions  of  Athens  and  the  Parthenon,  Palmyra  and  the  Pyramids, 


WITH    EYEvS    WIDE   OPEN. 


35 


Thebes  and  her  crumbling-  columns.  While  riding  upon  a  plateau  oi'  over  10,000 
feet  above  the  sea  >ou  look  from  your  car  window  and  there,  standing  outlined 
against  the  clear  azure  background,  gigantic  portals  ri.se  hundreds  of  feet  above  you 
and  flash  with  the  bright  splendor  of  carnelian.  The  obliging  conductor  points 
out  "Statue  of  Liberty,"  "Cathedral  Spire,"  "  Dolphin,"  a  "Bear  and  Seal;"' 


WITHIN  THK  GATES,  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS. 


but  these  names  seem  quite  inadequate  to  express  your  inexpressible  admiration  of 
the  marvelous  forms  which  nature  assumes  in  these  mountainous  contortions. 

The  Cheyenne  Mountain. 

As  we  pass  near  the  Cheyenne  canj'on,  the  scene  changes.     Down  the  side  of 
the  gorge  leaps  and  foams  a  series  of  cascades — seven  falls  pouring  the  water  from 


36 


AROUND    THE   WORLD 


the  melted  snow  above  in  the  echoing  chasm  beneath.     It  will  be  remembered  that 
on   the  eastern  slope  of  the  Cheyenne    Mountain  was   the  grave   of  that   sweet 

American     poetess, 

/  Helen   Hunt  Jackson 

;'  .  ("H.     H."),     whose 

rhymes  have  covered 
these  barren  slopes 
with  fadeless  verdure. 
Sierra  Blanca  is 
the  giant  of  the  Rock- 
ies, and  is  the  loftiest 
mountain,  with  one 
e[xception,  in  the 
United  States.  It  is 
a  triple  peak  and 
springs  from  the  val- 
ley 14,469  feet — over 
r.vo  miles  and  three- 
fifths  of  ascent.  As 
you  watch  the  varied 
beauties  of  ' '  Wagon 
Wheel  Gap  ' '  the  train 
plunges  into  the  black- 
ness of  Toltec  Tun- 
nel, which  pierces  the 
summit  instead  of  the 
base  of  the  mountain. 
When  you  emerge 
from  the  tunnel  a 
thrilling  sight  greets 
your  eye.  From  a 
trestle-bridge  you  look 
into  a  tremendous 
"sorge,  whose  sides  are 
splintered  rocks  and 
huge  crags  and  bould- 
ers; below  are  the 
white  waters  of  a 


THE    "mountain   of  the  cross,"    COLORADO. 


foaming 


torrent,  above  the  deep-blue  sky 
mystery  of  the  mountains. 


and  on  either  side  the  majesty  and 


WITH    EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


37 


Space  f.-bids  me  tosp:dc  of  the  homes  of  the  cliff-dwellers  in  picturesque 
ruins,  or  to  dwell  upon  the  wonders  of  Royal  Gorge,  Fremont  Pass,  the  Black 
Canyon,  Jjarshall  Pass  and  Castle  Gate. 

The  Holy  Cross. 

But  the  Mountain  of  the  Holy  Cross  cannot  be  passed  unnoticed.  From 
the  crest  of  Tennessee  Pass,  many  miles  away,  you  can  plainly  distinguish 
the  snow-white  emblem  of  the  Christian  faith  gleaming  with  bright  splendor 
against  the  sky.  The  cross  is  formed  by  canyons  of  immense  depths  riven 
down  and  across  the  summit  of  the  mountain.    Eternal  snow  fills  these  canj-ons,  and 


this  ' '  sign  set  in  the  heavens  "  is  a  silent  sermon  of  the  greates 


4-    C^ 


?t  of  all  the  ages. 


■ 


THE   EAST   SIDE   OF   EAST   TEMPLE   STREET,    SAET   LAKE   CITY. 

Our  new  sister,  Utah,  contains  one  of  the  most  mysterious  inland  seas  on  the 
globe.  The  lake's  surface  is  higher  than  the  Alleghenies,  and  its  dead,  tideless 
waters  remain  an  unsolved  enigma.  One  cannot  sink  on  account  of  the  density  of 
the  water,  which  contains  22  per  cent  solid  matter,  or  167^3  salt — greater  than  the 
Dead  Sea  of  the  Holy  Eand.  In  the  early  morning  we  leave  the  train,  and, 
sailing  over  the  beautiful  San  Francisco  Bay,  we  reach  the  city  of  the  Golden 
Gate,  situated  at  the  north  end  of  a  peninsula  thirty  miles  long,  separating  the 
Pacific  Ocean  from  the  bay. 

At  the  Golden  Gate. 

San  Francisco  is  pre-eminently  a  cosmopolitan  city.  Its  buildings  display 
every  style  of  architecture  and  its  population  is  composed  of  every  nationality. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


39 


Yesterday  morning  was  spent  in  studying  the  magnificent  apartments  of  several 
of  the  palaces  of  millionaires  on  California  street,  and  last  night  was  largely 
occupied  by  me  in  the  opium  dens  and  narrow  alleys  of  "Chinatown,"  where 
25,000  of  these  sons  of  the  "  Celestial  Kingdom  "  swarm  in  filth  and  degradation. 
Two  such  localities,  so  near  together,  cannot  be  found  perhaps  on  the  globe. 

Sutro  Heights,  overlooking  the  Seal  rocks,  where  thousands  of  these  queer 
animals  perform  their  fantastic  capers  and  fill  the  air  with  their  ceaseless  barking; 
the  Golden  Gate  Park,  where  the  grounds  and  flora  remind  one  of  the  tales  of  fairy- 


SAN   FRANCISCO   AND   THE  GOLDEN    GATE. 

land,  and  the  delightful  drives,  stretching  along  the  waters  where  the  bay  rolls 
through  the  Golden  Gates  into  the  great  Pacific — these  are  a  few  of  the  features 
that  give  fame  to  this  city. 

If  San  Francisco  does  not  become  one  of  the  great  cities  of  the  world,  the 
cause  will  be  found  in  her  failure  to  take  advantage  of  the  many  natural  blessings 
that  Providence  has  lain  at  her  door.  The  word  winter  cannot  well  apply  to  any 
of  her  twelve  months;  in  front  of  her  is  a  land-locked  sheet  of  water  some  fifty 
miles  long  and  of  varying  width  opening  to  the  sea,  while  she  nestles   in   the 


40  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

central  edge  of  a, rich  agricultural  province;  and  at  the  doorstep  is  the  terminal 
point  of  the  great  trans-continental  routes.  On  the  beautiful  bay  may  be  seen 
crafts  of  every  kind  from  the  tiny  rowboat  to  the  monster  ocean  steamer;  and 
fringing  the  entire  water  front  is  a  forest  of  masts. 

The  magnificent  steamer,  China,  was  trembling  in  her  moorings,  as  we  crossed 
the  gangway  on  a  beautiful  October  morning;  and  a  few  hours  later  we  passed 
through  the  Golden  Gate,  due  West.  Our  steamer  contained  a  world  in  itself. 
The  hundreds  of  pas.sengers  represented  every  class  in  society,  from  the  charming, 
aristocratic  bride  to  the  wretched,  sickly -looking  Chinese  steerage  passenger  on 
his  way  home  to  die.  In  the  stern  of  the  ship,  we  noticed  queer-shaped  boxes  in 
great  piles;  and  it  was  learned  that  these  were  Chinese  coffins,  containing  the 
bones  and  dust  of  members  of  the  Celestial  Kingdom,  whose  last  resting-place  must 
be  their  loved  land. 

The  days  were  full  of  sunshine,  the  nights  full  of  stars,  and  the  ocean  quite 
pacific,  during  the  first  week  of  our  journey;  and  on  the  eighth  da}-  we  caught 
a  glimpse  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands;  soon  the  white  houses  of  Honolulu  were 
in  sight;  and  in  the  twilight  of  the  evening  we  were  anchored  in  the  handsome 
harbor  facing  the  Paradise  of  the  Pacific. 

The  Hawaiian  group  consists  of  five  principal  islands;  Hawaii,  Maui,  Oahu, 
Molokai  and  Ranai,  located  about  2000  miles  from  San  Francisco  in  the  Northern 
Pacific  Ocean,  between  the  ninteenth  and  twenty-third  parallels  of  latitude.  As 
our  steamer  approaches  Honolulu,  on  the  island  of  Oahu,  the  seat  of  the  Hav/aiian 
government,  the  picturesque  Diamond  Head  is  seen  outlined  against  the  sk\-. 
This  headland  is  an  extinct  volcano,  whose  tires  in  years  past  lit  the  sea  far  in 
the  distance,  acting  as  nature's  lighthouse  to  warn  the  passing  mariner.  Passing 
this  verdureless  dome  as  we  move  toward  the  harbor,  groves  of  cocoanut  trees, 
stately  palms,  graceful  ferns  and  every  variety  of  tropical  plants  greet  the  eye ; 
and  looking  upon  this  "Paradise  of  the  Pacific,"  you  can  excuse  Mr.  Samuel  L. 
Clemens  for  his  enthusiastic  reminiscence:  "I  can  see  its  garlanded  crags,  its 
leaping  cascades,  its  plumy  palms  drowsing  by  the  shore,  its  remote  summits 
floating  like  islands  about  the  cloud  racks.  I  can  feel  the  spirit  of  its  woodland 
solitudes;  I  can  hear  the  gurgle  of  its  brooks;  and  in  my  nostrils  still  lives  the 
breath  of  flowers  that  perished  twenty  years  ago. ' '  My  friend  of  years,  Mr. 
Willis,  the  distinguished  United  States  minister  to  the  islands,  gave  us  an 
old-fashioned  Kentucky  welcome,  and  through  his  courtesy  our  visit  was 
made  most  instructive  and  delightful. 

A  Charming  Panorama. 

From  Punchbowl  Hill,  an  extinct  crater,  rising  in  the  rear  of  the  capital 
city,  a  very  fine  view  is  taken  of  the  surrounding  land  and  water.     The  old 


< 


z 


'J 


(41) 


42  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

lolaiii  Palace,  the  government  buildings,  the  statue  of  Kamehameha  I.  in  full 
war  costume  of  a  Hawaiian  chief,  the  Hawaiian  opera  house,  the  barracks,  the 
royal  palm  avenue  leading  to  the  Queen's  hospital,  the  winding  Pearl  River,  the 
wide-spreading  rice  and  sugar  plantations  and  the  sloping  beach,  glistening  under 
the  tropical  sun,  attract  attention  and  present  a  charming  panorama.  One  of  the 
most  attractive  drives  around  Honolulu  takes  us  up  a  gradual  ascent  from  the 
sea  to  a  height  of  1200  feet  and  brings  us  to  the  noted  Pali.  Here  we  visit  the 
royal  mausoleum,  the  last  resting  place  of  the  Hawaiian  royalty'.  The  spot  upon 
which  we  stand  is  historically  very  interesting. 

Historical  Scenes. 

Here  Kalamikupouli,  the  chief  of  the  island,  made  his  last  stand  against 
Kamehameha  I.,  who  conquered  and  consolidated  the  islands  during  the  last 
century.  The  decisive  battle  was  waged  in  May,  1795,  and  at  the  bottom  of  a 
great  precipice  the  guide  insists  that  there  can  be  found  the  skulls  and  bones  of 
many  of  the  warriors  who  were  driven  to  death  in  their  struggle  for  independ- 
ence. At  Kaawaloa,  on  the  island  of  Hawaii  (the  largest  of  the  group),  is  the 
place  where  the  brave  Captain  Cook  fell.  A  plain  obelisk  of  concrete,  standing 
in  a  small  enclosure  surrounded  by  chains  and  old  cannon,  has  been  erected  to 
his  memory.     The  following  is  the  inscription: 

"In  memory  of  the  great  circumnavigator.  Captain  James  Cook,  R.  N.,  who 
discovered  these  Islands  on  the  18th  of  January,  A.  D,  1778,  and  fell  near  this 
spot  on  the  14th  of  February,  A.  D,  1779,  this  monument  was  erected  by  some 
of  his  fellow-countrymen. " 

Volcanic  Forces. 

Even  a  casual  study  of  Hawaii  causes  you  to  realize  its  igneous  origin. 
Every  part  of  the  island  bears  the  Plutonic  mark,  and  it  is  readily  seen  that  it 
has  been  raised  ridge  by  ridge  and  mountain  by  mountain  up  to  Alpine  heights 
by  volcanic  forces  that  are  still  in  operation.  Here  is  found  Kilauea,  the  largest 
active  volcano  in  the  world,  and  the  Hale-man-man,  or  House  of  Everlasting 
Fire  of  the  Hawaiian  mythology,  is  one  of  the  marvels  of  the  univer.se.  As  its 
brink  is  approached  one  can  easily  sympathize  with  the  emotional  description  of 
a  noted  writer:  "I  think  we  all  screamed,  I  know  we  all  wept,  but  we  were 
speechless,  for  a  new  glory  and  terror  had  been  added  to  the  earth.  It  is  the 
most  unutterable  of  wonderful  things.  The  words  of  common  speech  are  quite 
useless.  Here  was  the  real  'bottomless  pit,'  the  'fire  which  is  not  quenched.' 
the  fiery  sea  whose  waves  are  never  weary.  There  were  groanings,  rumblings 
and  detonations,  rushings.  hissings  and  splashings,  and  the  crushing  sound  of 
breakers  on  the  coast,  but  it  was  the  .surging  of  fiery  waves  upon  a  fiery  shore." 


WITH   EYEvS   WIDE   OPEX. 


The  pit  is  nine  miles  in  circumference;  its  lowest  area  covers  six  square  miles, 
and  the  depth  of  the  crater  varies  from  eight  hundred  to  eleven  hundred  feet, 
according  as  the  molten  sea  is  at  flood  or  ebb. 

The  Leper  Colony. 

The  neighboring  island  of  Molokai  is  noted  chiefly  as  the  place  of  the  leper 
settlement.  We  did  not  insist  upon  visiting  this  home  of  the  living  dead,  but 
from  the  distance  the 
village  presented  a 
pretty  appearance, 
with  its  pure  white 
cottages  dotting  the 
green  plain,  and  the 
spires  of  several 
churches  and  the  more 
imposing  public  build- 
ings gave  the  impres- 
sion of  a  peaceful, 
happy  community. 
The  place  selected  for 
the  centralization  of 
this  dread  disease  is 
a  plain  of  20,000 
acres,  hemmed  in  by 
the  sea  and  walls  of 
rock,  varying  from 
1000  to  2500  feet  in 
height.  The  lepers 
are  confined  within 
the  boundaries  of  the 
island,  but  those 
whose  condition  al- 
lows them  to  live  out- 
side of  the  hospital 
mingle  freely  among 
themselves,  and  de- 
spite their  dreadful  and  incurable  malady,  seem,  I  am  told,  to  get  some  sweetness 
out  of  their  bitter  cup  of  life. 

It  was  in  the  year  1865  that  the  Hawaiian  Legislature  established  this  leper 
settlement  on  the  i.sland  of  Molokai.      When  the  official  announcement  was  made 


HAWAIIAN   GIRLS   IN    FU)RAL   G.^RLANDS. 


44  AROUND   THE   WORIvD 

that  the  isolation  of  lepers  must  take  place  the  natives  hid  their  leprous  relatives 
and  friends  under  mats,  in  forests  and  caves,  and  as  late  as  1873  it  was  estimated 
that  over  four  hundred  of  these  unfortunates,  with  glazed  eyes,  bloated  faces  and 
decayed  limbs,  were  still  living  among  the  people  of  the  islands.  No  one  can 
dwell  upon  this  home  of  hideous  disease  and  slow- coming  death  without  being 
thrilled  by  the  self-forgetful  devotion  of  Father  Damiens,  the  heroic  Belgian 
priest,  who,  following  the  example  of  his  divine  Master,  laid  down  his  life  for 
the  suffering  and  has  received  the  everlasting  crown  worn  by  the  noble  army  of 
martyrs. 

The  Hawaiian  Tongue. 

I  was  quite  fortunate  in  forming  the  acquaintance  of  an  intelligent  New 
Yorker  whose  long  residence  on  the  islands  and  whose  active  mercantile  life 
enabled  him  to  give  me  information  on  numerous  subjects  of  interest.  From 
what  he  tells  me  I  imagine  that  the  language  is  not  very  difficult  to  master. 
Although  there  are  only  twelve  letters,  some  of  these  are  made  to  perform  double 
duty,  as  K  is  also  T,  and  L,  is  also  R.  Each  word,  and  indeed  each  syllable, 
ends  with  a  vowel,  and  you  hear  nothing  of  ihe  harsh  explosive  and  sibilant 
consonants.  These  vowels  as  they  glide  from  the  Hawaiian  tongue  call  to  mind 
the  soft  Italian  pronunciation,  and  the  effect  is  most  harmonious  and  delightful. 
The  names  of  places  are  frequently  compounded  with  zca/,  water,  and  are  quite 
musical.  Wailuku,  "water  of  destruction;"  Waioli,  "singing  water ;"  Waipio, 
"vanquished  water."  The  natives  have  no  surnames,  and  a  man  may  have  one 
name  and  his  wife  and  children  may  be  called  by  anything  else. 

Commerce  and  Industries. 

Finding  that  my  new-made  friend  was  inclined  to  be  communicative,  I  ven- 
tured to  ask  him  three  leading  questions,  namely:  Wliat  is  the  commercial  outlook 
of  the  islands?  What  is  the  political  outlook  of  the  islands?  What  about  the 
decrease  of  the  native  Hawaiians?  He  insists  that  every  day  the  business  pros- 
pect of  the  islands  is  brightening  and  no  time  since  his  residence  among  the 
Hawaiians  has  he  witnessed  such  a  general  but  gradual  revival  in  mercantile  life. 
Added  to  the  sugar  and  rice  staples,  there  is,  just  now,  a  decided  inclination 
toward  the  growth  of  coffee,  and  he  thinks  in  the  near  future  a  certain  portion  of 
the  islands  will  be  as  famous  in  the  raising  of  this  product  as  it  has  been  in  the 
culture  of  sugar  and  rice. 

Political  Situation. 

At  the  reception  given  by  President  Dole,  who  by  the  way  is  the  son  of  an 
American  missionar}-,  we  were  enabled  to  form  a  conception  of  the  personnel  of  the 
present  administration  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands.     The  president  and  his  assistants 


(  4.S  J 


46 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


are  substantial,  conservative  gentlemen  ;  and  while  they  must  know  that  the  exist- 
ing government  is  only  temporary,  they  are  attempting  practical  and  permanent 
improvements.  It  does  not  take  a  prophet  or  the  son  of  a  prophet  to  foresee  that 
ere  long  the  Stars  and  Stripes  will  be  floating  over  these  islands.  Indeed,  formal 
steps  have  been  taken  by  our  government  looking  to  this  end.  In  transmitting  the 
Treaty  of  Annexation  to  the  Senate  President  McKinley  uses  these  words:  "The 
incorporation  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands  into  the  body  politic  of  the  United  States  is 


A    HAWAIIAN    GRASS    HUT   AND    ITS   OCCUPANTS. 

the  necessary  and  fitting  sequel  to  the  chain  of  events  which  from  a  very  early  period 
of  our  history  has  controlled  the  intercourse  and  prescribed  the  association  of  the 
United  States  and  the  Hawaiian  Islands."  The  Treaty  presented  to  the  Senate 
is  a  remarkable  document.  The  Republic  of  Hawaii  cedes  absolutely  to  the 
United  States  all  rights  of  sovereignty  over  the  Hawaiian  Islands  and  their 
dependencies,  including  all  lands,  ports,  harbors,  buildings,  military  equipments; 
it  provides  that  special  land  laws  relative  to  Hawaii  are  to  be  enacted  by  the 
American  Congress;  revenue  from  the  sale  of   Hawaiian  lands,  excepting  that 


WITH    EYEvS    WIDE   OPEN.  47 

which  is  to  be  used  for  governmental  purposes,  is  to  be  expended  for  educational 
purposes  in  Hawaii;  complete  civil,  judicial  and  military  control  shall  be  exer- 
cised by  the  United  States;  the  public  debt  of  Hawaii,  which  is  not  to  exceed 
$4,000,000,  is  to  be  assumed  by  the  United  States;  and  the  President  is  to 
appoint  five  commissioners,  two  being  native  Hawaiians,  to  consider  and  recom- 
mend to  Congress  necessary  legislation  for  the  new  territory.  The  Japanese 
Minister  at  Washington,  representing  his  government,  filed  a  formal  protest 
against  annexation,  on  the  ground  that  this  measure  would  work  injustice  to 
Japanese  interests  and  claims  on  these  islands;  and  England  has  shown  some 
interest  in  the  matter;  but  it  is  thought  that  any  international  complications 
arising  from  the  ownership  of  these  lovely  islands  by  the  United  States  will  be 
adjusted  satisfactorily. 

Aboriginal  Population. 

The  decrease  of  the  Hawaiians  is  as  pathetic  as  it  is  inevitable.  For  years 
the  native  stock  has  been  dying  out,  and  to-day,  while  there  are  nearly  one 
hundred  thousand  persons  on  the  islands,  there  are  not  more  than  forty  thous.ind 
pure  descendants  of  the  aborigines.  The  intermarrying  of  the  whites  and  the 
half-whites  and  the  Chinese  and  natives  is  constantly  going  on,  and  the  com- 
plexion and  general  characteristics  of  those  whom  you  meet  on  the  streets  tell 
the  tale  of  this  amalgamation. 

Our  noble  steamer,  after  taking  on  board  five  hundred  more  Chinese  steerage 
passengers  at  Honolulu,  turns  her  bow  toward  the  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun  ;  and  as 
she  glides  through  the  placid  blue  waters  of  the  Pacific,  the  flower  and  fruit-covered 
plains  are  lost  to  our  view,  and  from  far  out  at  sea  the  peaks  of  Oahu  can  be  seen 
through  our  marine  glass,  pointing  their  spires  toward  a  sky  that  bends  brightly 
over  this  gem  of  the  ocean. 


CHAPTER  11. 

LAND  OF  THE  SUNRISE. 

we  sailed  due  West  over  the  Pacific  one  hour  was  lost  in  each 
thousand  miles  of  progress,  and  when  we  reached  the  half- 
way point  around  the  world  from  Greenwich  (i8o°)  a  da}- 
r  '>^i     i"&-~fr  ~ii     p     "^^'as  dropped  in  mid-ocean.      In  passing  from  November  2  to 
y'y^.\/JJ  \A    \.J^      November  4,  or  from  Saturday  to  Monday,  was  quite  a  new 

experience.  An  officer  on  board  tells  me  that  he  spent 
two  Christmases  last  3'ear  while  coming  from  Japan  to  San 
Francisco,  and  a  fellow-passenger  had  the  unique  experience 
of  having  two  birthdays  during  his  vo3'age  in  the  same  direction.  In  coming 
m)'  direction  one  stands  the  chance  of  having  no  Christmas  and  no  birthday. 

Yeddo  Bay  and  Yokohama. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  November  10  I  looked  from  my  port  window  upon 
the  beautiful  Yeddo  Bay,  and  as  we  crept  slowly  into  the  harbor  of  Yokohama  a 
welcome  sight  greeted  our  eyes  after  nearly  three  weeks  at  sea.  Hundreds  of 
Japanese  sloops  and  sampans  darted  in  and  out  among  the  American,  English, 
French,  Russian  and  Japanese  ships;  men-of-war  belonging  to  the  five  leading 
nations  of  the  world  were  anchored  near  at  hand;  the  low-roofed  houses  of  Yoko- 
hama lay  to  our  left,  and  before  us  loomed  up  the  snow-capped  and  sunlit  Fuji- 
yama. Our  steamer  anchored  half  a  mile  of¥  shore  and  from  a  small  steam  tug 
we  soon  stepped  on  the  Land  of  the  Sunrise. 

In  the  year  1854,  when  Commodore  Perry  reached  Yokohama  with  his  little 
fleet  of  men-of-war,  it  was  only  a  small  fishing  village,  but  now  it  has  a  popula- 
tion of  170,000.  The  native  and  business  part  of  the  city  is  backed  by  a  half 
moon  of  well-wooded  hills,  where  the  foreign  concession  is  located  and  where 
handsome  houses,  in  European  style,  are  built  on  what  is  known  as  the  Bluff. 

Strange  Street  Scenes. 

As  we  dash  through  the  city  in  a  jinrikasha  new  scenes  open  before  us  at 
every  turn  of  the  narrow  streets.  Men  drawing  vehicles  like  horses  between  the 
shafts;  the  half-nude  coolies  carrying  heav\'  loads  of  merchandise,  swung  from 
their  shoulders  upon  stout  bamboo  poles;  the  simple  architecture  of  the  dwelling- 
houses;  the  extremely  deliberate  and  solemn  salutations  between  the  common 

(48) 


WITH    EYEvS   WIDI-:    OPEN. 


49 


people  who  meet  on  the  streets;  fantastic  trading-booths  and  the  brilliant  display 
of  toys  and  trinkets  that  fill  them;  the  happy  children  flying  kites,  in  the  shape 
of  hideous  faces;  the  absence  of  beggars  on  the  streets  (quite  a  contrast  to  Euro- 
pean and  many  American  cities),  and  the  general  appearance  of  thrift,  cleanliness 
and  contentment  that  presented  itself,  made  impressions  rather  pleasing  than 
otherwise.  The  women  carry 
their  children  lashed  to  their 
backs  like  the  American  Ii:- 
dians,  and  the  exposure  of  the 
tender  eyes  to  the  sunlight 
may  account,  partly,  for  the 
numerous  cases  of  sore  eyes 
and  blindness  in  Japan. 

A  Tokio  Chrysanthemum  Show. 

The  winter  sleep  of  the 
flowers  is  ver}-  short,  and  al- 
though we  are  writing  in  No- 
vember I  can  walk  in  a  gar- 
den ten  yards  from  m\-  room 
and  gather  a  bouquet  of  flow- 
ers that  would  astonish  any 
florist  in  Florida  or  California. 

During  this  month  the 
chrj'santhemum  is  in  all  of 
its  glory.  I  spent  several 
hours  at  the  chrysanthemum 
show  in  Tokio;  and,  doubt- 
less, in  all  the  world  it  would 
b  e  i  m  p  o s s  i  b  1  e  t  o  w  it  n  e  s  s 
another  such  exhibition  of 
this  particular  flower.  Dra- 
matic and  comical  perform- 
ances, war  scenes,  historical 
epochs  and  landscapes  are  set 
forth  by  these  flowers,  woven 

into  designs,  and  the  effect  is  remarkably  fine.  As  might  have  been  expected, 
the  victorious  battles  in  the  China -Japanese  war  were  favorite  subjects,  and  in 
every  in.stance  a  single  Japanese  was  putting  to  flight  a  half  a  dozen  members  of 
tJie  Celestial  Empire.     In  one  blood-thirsty  scene  the  sweet  flower  was  made  to 

4 


I^ARORKR   OF   THE   COOI.KV    CLASS. 


50 


AROUND   THE  WORLD 


depict  a  Japanese  warrior  holding  a  Chinaman's  pigtail  in  one  hand,  while  with 
the  other  he  was  about  to  behead  him.  In  the  Yokohama  nursery  I  visited 
packing-rooms  containing  forty  thousand  cases  of  bulbs  of  different  plants  to  be 
shipped  to  Europe  and  America. 

In  Fairyland. 

A  ride  in  a  j  inrikasha  through  the  country  gives  one  a  great  pleasure.     Every  - 
thing  seems  delicate,  diminutive  and  fairy-like.      The  small  rice  and  teafields, 


GAMBLING    IN   J.\1'AN. 


the  tiny  plots  of  ground  around  the  low-thatched  houses  and  the  groves  of  dwarfed 
trees  seem  to  correspond  fittingly  with  the  little  people  of  this  "Land  of  the  Sun- 
rise. "  As  just  now  they  are  attracting  the  attention  of  the  civilized  world  and 
as  they  are  destined  to  become  a  potent  factor  in  the  future  history  of  the  Orient, 
it  may  be  well  to  give  a  brief  synopsis  of  their  history  and  a  glimpse  into  their 
social  life. 

The  history  of  Japan  naturally  falls  into  four  great  periods.     The  first  three 
comprise  the  history  of  Old  Japan  and  the  last  one  that  of  New  Japan.     Four 


WITH   EYES   WIDE    OPEN. 


51 


great  waves  of  foreign  influence  have  swept  over  the  country.  The  first  two 
oriental,  the  last  two  occidental  in  character.  During  the  first  period  (660  B.  C- 
700  A.  D. )  emperors  held  supreme  political  and  spiritual  power. 

Introduction  of  Buddhism. 

Two  important  events  mark  this  period.  In  the  3'ear  286  A.  D.  Chinese 
literature,  art  and  science  and  Confucius  philosophy  were  introduced.  In  the 
year  558  A.  D.  Buddhism  was  first  proclaimed.     It  required  a  thousand  years  for 


BUDDHIST   TEMPI,E,    NIKKO,   JAPAN. 

this  system  to  become  firmly  established,  but  its  victory  was  finally  complete.  It 
had  transformed  the  nation.  In  the  words  of  Professor  Chamberlain,  "Bud- 
dhism introduced  art,  science,  medicine,  moulded  the  folk  lore,  created  dramatic 
poetry  and  greatly  influenced  every  department  of  social  and  intellectual  life. 
In  a  word,  Buddhism  was  the  tutor  under  whose  instruction  the  Japanese 
grew  up. ' ' 

It  reached  its  golden  age  in  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries,  when  it 
embraced  the  mass  of  the  people  and  the  land  was  filler!  with  splendid  temples 
and  monasteries. 


52 


AROUND    THE    WORLD 


The  second  period  (,700  A.  D.-iioo  A.  D, )  is  marked  by  the  rise  of  the 
Fujivvara  family.  This  was  a  literary  family,  which  had  gradually  gained 
supreme  power  over  the  nation.  From  this  time  one  family  after  another  held 
political  power,  and  the  Emperor  was  merely  the  nominal  head  of  the  nation  until 
the  restoration  of  1S67. 

Rise  of  the  Military  Power. 

During  the  third  period  (1100  A.  D.-1853),  i'l  1141.  Yoritomo  Minamoto 
consolidated  the  feudal  system  and  became  the  first  Shogun  or  Tycoon.  The  life 
of  this  great  man  marks  a  brilliant  period  in  Japanese  history. 


INTERIOR   BUDDHIST   TEMPI,E,   JAPAN. 


In  the  3-ear  1549  Catholic  mission  work  was  introduced  by  Francis  Xavier, 
bringing  in  the  first  wave  of  influence  from  the  Occident.  In  the  latter  part  of 
the  sixteenth  centurj^  three  influential  characters  arose,  each  b}^  his  lifework  to 
leave  a  lasting  impression  upon  the  history  of  the  nation.  OtaNobunaga  laid 
plans  for  the  consolidation  of  the  whole  of  Japan  under  one  ruler,  for  up  to  this 
time   the  conquest  of  Japan  had  only  been  partial,  but  just  on  the  eve  of  the 


WITH   FvYKS   WIDE   OPEN. 


53 


accomplishment  of  his  purpose.^  he  was  slain.  Hideyosh,  a  great  warrior  and 
statesman,  carried  to  completion  the  work  so  well  begun,  but  a  greater  than  he 
was  to  enjoy  the  full  fruit  of  his  labors.  Tokiigawa  lyeyasu,  the  greatest  man  in 
Japanese  history,  was  the  first  to  rule  over  the  entire  empire.  He  founded  the 
City  of  Tokio,  making  it  the  capital  of  the  Shogunate,  framed  many  wise  laws 
and.  fostered  art,  science  and  literature.  Under  him  the  feudal  system  reached 
the  zenith  of  its  glory  and  power.  The  one  blot  upon  his  fame  was  the  persecu- 
tion of  Catholics,  the  expulsion   of  foreigners  and  tlie  closing  of  the  country  to 


MUSIC  IN  The  home,  japats-. 


the  outside  world.      His  death,  in   1616,  closed  this  important  period  as  far  as 
any  great  event  of  any  national  importance  is  concerned. 

The  fourth  period  of  Japan's  history'  ( 1858-1895)  is  contemporaneous  with 
the  force  wave  of  foreign  influence.  It  is  marked  by  the  coming  of  Perry,  the 
destruction  of  the  feudal  system,  the  restoration  of  the  Emperor  and  the  ascen- 
sion to  the  throne  of  the  present  Emperor,  Mitsuhito,  in  1867.  Protestant  mis- 
sions began  in  1859  and  the  first  church  was  formed  in  1872.  The  transformation 
of  the  country  is  remarkable  and  every  year  witnesses  new  evidences  of  pro- 
gressive life. 


54 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


Japanese  Social  Life. 

One  of  the  first  lessons  that  is  taught  a  Japanese  girl  is  that  she  is  inferior 
to  a  boy,  and  this  early  lesson  is  impressed  ceaselessly  upon  her  during  her  life. 

The  boy  calls  his  sis- 
ter by  her  name,  but 
she  must  call  him 
"Ani  San"  (dear 
brother),  being  a  less 
familiar  term  than  his 
name.  Quite  com- 
monly the  brother 
eats  with  the  father, 
and  after  waiting  ou 
them  she  eats  with 
her  mother.  It  is- 
commonly  understood 
that  it  is  not  the 
proper  thing  for  a  girl 
to  play  even  with  her 
brother  after  she  is 
ten  years  old,  and  thus 
a  wall  separates  the 
sexes  in  the  same 
family. 

Courting  is  an. 
unknown  science  in 
Japan.  The  "Nako- 
do, "  or  go-between,  is 
not  only  a  match 
maker,  but  arranges 
all  the  preliminary 
details  to  the  hour  of 
marriage.  A  father 
comes  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  it  is  time 
that  his  daughter 
should  marry.  Without  speaking  with  her  on  the  subject,  he  consults  a  friend, 
and  arrangements  are  made  to  find  a  suitable  life  partner  for  her.  Now  the  "go- 
between'  '  takes  the  whole  matter  in  hand,  and,  as  he  expects  to  be  well  paid  for  his 
trouble  finally,  he  becomes  a  very  bu.sy  penson  indeed.     This  official,  with  the 


HAIR   ARRANGED    BY   UNMARRIED  WOMAN,   JAPAN. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


consent  of  the  fathers  of  the  intended  groom  and  bride,  may  arrange  for  a  niiyai 
(look-at-each-other  meeting)  before  the  marriage,  but  frequently  the  young 
people  never  see  each  other  until  the  moment  of  marriage.  But  after  the  union 
this  important  char- 
acter, whose  services 
we  have  explained, 
has  not  ceased  his  du- 
ties.  If,  unfortu- 
nately, there  should 
occur  such  an  uncom- 
mon thing  as  a  family 
quarrel  the  go-be- 
tween is  called  in  and 
brings  about  a  final 
settlement  by  putting 
them  on  good  terms 
or  arranges  for  a  per- 
manent separation. 

When  a  woman 
is  married  two  solemn 
duties  immediately 
are  laid  upon  her.  In 
certain  parts  of  Japan 
she  must  shave  off  her 
eyebrows  and  blacken 
her  teeth.  B5'  these 
beautiful  perform- 
ances she  brands  her- 
self with  the  informa- 
tion, "I  am  a  married 
woman.  Take  care 
not  to  fall  in  love  with 
me."  The  arrange- 
ment of  the  hair  also 
indicates  whether  a 
woman  is  married  or 
unmarried.      It  is  the 


FOUR  JAPANESE   LADIES. 


duty  of  the  mother  to  give  parting  instructions  to  her  daughter  as  she  enters 
into  this  slavery  of  marriage.  This  is  done  by  impressing  upon  her  the  following 
rules  of  conduct:    (i)  When  you  marry  you  are  legally  my  daughter  no  longer. 


56 


AROUND    THIi    WORLD 


so  give  the  same  perfect  obedience  to  ^oiir  father-in-law  and  mother-in-law  that 
you  have  given  to  )'our  father  and  mother.  (2)  When  you  are  married  you  have 
no  other  lord  than   \-onr  husband.      Be  humble,  be  polite.      Perfect  obedience  to 

the  h u s b a n d  is  a 
noble  virtue  for  the 
wife.  (3)  Be  kind 
always  to  ^our  moth- 
er-in-law and  sister- 
in-law.  (4)  Don't  be 
jealous.  That  is  not 
the  way  to  win  your 
husband's  affections. 
(5)  Even  where  there 
is  injustice  on  the  hus- 
band's part  do  not  be 
angry.  Be  patient, 
and  when  he  is  quiet, 
then  advise  with 
him.  (6)  Don't  talk 
much.  Don't  tell 
another  person  mis- 
chief. Don't  in  any 
case  tell  a  lie.  (7)  Get 
up  early,  stay  up  late 
at  night  and  do  not 
take  a  nap  in  the  day- 
time. Don't  drink 
much  wine,  and  do  not 
go  into  a  crowd  until 
you  are  fifty -one  years 
old.  (8)  Do  not  ask  a 
fortime-teller  what 
your  future  destiny 
will  be.  (9)  B  e  a 
good  housekeeper ;  be 
economical    in  c\-erv- 

JAPANESE   BELI^KS.  t^iug.         (lo)     ThoUgh 

you  are  married  young,  do  not  associate  with  young  men,  even  if  they  are  rela- 
tives (11)  Don't  wear  a  gay  dress;  be  clean  always.  (12I  Don't  be  proud  of 
your  father's  pro.sperity  or  position;  do  not  boast  of  them  before  vour  husband's 


WITH   EYEvS   WIDE    OPEN. 


57 


relatives.  (13)  Be  careful  how  you  treat  the  men-servants  or  ma  id -servants. 
The  bride  vows  that  she  will  keep  all  of  these  rules,  and  if  she  fails  to  do  so,  she 
has  become  false  to  her  marriage  vows.  The  wedding  ceremony  takes  place  in 
the  home  of  the  bridegroom,  where  the  largest  room  is  decorated  for  the  occasion. 
The  bride,  in  her  long-sleeved  and  elaborately  made  furisode,  and  the  groom,  with 
his  silk  kamishimo,  accompanied  by  a  small  bridal  party,  take  their  seats  in  the 
bridal  room.  A  table  is  placed  in  front  of  the  !)ride,  and  upon  it  are  three- 
sized  cups  filled   with  "sake"   or    Japanese  wine.     The  bride  takes  three  sips 


WEDDING    PROCESSION,   JAPAN. 


from  each,  and  at  her  invitation  the  groom  does  the  same.  This  indicates  that 
they  will  share  each  other's  joys  and  sorrows,  and  after  the  announcement  of  the 
marriage  by  the  "go-between"  to  the  parents  the  ceremou}'  is  completed. 

As  a  rule  the  completion  of  this  form  is  the  beginning  of  a  life  for  the  poor 
little  woman  that  has  for  her  very  few  rays  of  sunshine.  She  is  the  mistress 
rather  than  the  queen  of  the  home,  and  her  chief  care  is  to  look  after  the  comfort 
and  pleasure  of  the  man,  who  too  often  is  cruel  and  overbearing. 


5« 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


Causes  for  Divorce. 

There  are  seven  recognized  causes  for  divorce  in  Japan:  (i)  Disobedience; 
(2)nochild;  (3)  adultery ;  (4)  jealousy;  (5}  loathsome  disease;  (6)  talking  too 
much;  (7)  stealing.  Indeed,  the  husband  for  the  most  trivial  cause  can  secure  a 
separation  from  his  wife.  No  court  is  needed.  The  ever-read)-  "go-between" 
is  told  of  his  desires,  and,  with  more  speed  than  he  arranged  the  union,  this 
all-important  personage  brings  about  the  disunion.  The  first  boy  is  often  called 
"Ichiro,"    meaning    "first  one;"    the    next  "Niro,"   "second  one;"   the  third 

"Saburo, "  and  so  on, 
according  to  their 
numbers.  The  girls 
are  generally  given 
fanciful  names,  such 
as  "Flower,"  "Glo- 
ry" and  the  like.  If 
their  lives  were  as 
bright  and  beautiful 
as  their  names,  the 
Japanese  home  life 
would  be  a  charm  in- 
stead of  a  curse,  as 
too  often  it  is. 

Japanese  Society. 

Japanese  society- 
is  divided  into  three 
classes — the  nobility, 
gentry  and  common 
people.  The  latter 
(lass  constitute  nine- 
ly-five  per  cent  of  the 
entire  population.  We 
find  nothing  like  the 
"caste"  feeling  that 
exists  in  India  domi- 
nant in  Japan,  and 
although  divisions  are 
recognized  they  are 
more  flexible  indeed 
jAPANi.SE  GxRi<s  CARRYING  babiks.  thau  iu  Euglaud. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE    OPEN. 


59 


Nothing  has  developed  more  quickly  than  the  educational  life  of  this  people. 
During  the  middle  ages  education  was  entirely  in  the  hands  of  Buddhist  priests 
and  the  temples  were  the  .schools  for  the  people.  When  the  Tokugawa  family 
came  into  power  and  for  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  (A.  D.  1603-1867)  the 
educated  classes  came  under  the  influence  of  Confucianism,  and  the  "four  books" 
and  "five  canons, ' '  composing  the  Confucian  classics,  became  the  literary  and  edu- 
cational basis  of  the  people.     These  were  studied  as  thoroughly  as  in  China  itself. 

Education. 

Since  the  revolution  of  1868  an  entirely  new  state  of  affairs  has  exi.sted,  and 
the  reform  lias  been   carried  on  largely  under  American  influences.      It  would 


.\T   SCHOOL,   JAPAN. 

surprise  one  who  has  not  kept  abreast  of  the  educational  progress  of  Japan  to 
visit  the  Imperial  University  at  Tokio  and  note  its  complete  appointments. 
There  are  six  distinct  faculties,  namely,  law,  literature,  science,  engineering, 
medicine  and  agriculture;  and  more  than  one  thousand  students  were  at  the 
university,  according  to  the  la.st  catalogue  that  is  before  me.  The  normal 
schools,  commercial  school,  technical  school,  noblees'  school,  naval  and  military 
academies,  musical  academy,  fine  art  school,  blind  and  dumb  school  and  five 
higher  middle  schools  were  founded  and  are  supported  by  the  government. 


6o 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


The  desire  is  quite  manifest  in  all  of  these  educational  improvements  to 
assimilate  the  national  thought  to  that  of  Western  nations.  It  was  my  pleasure 
to  address,  through  an  interpreter,  a  school  of  young  men  in  Tokio  this  week  on 

the  "Need  of  Edu- 
cated Men  in  Japan," 
and  during  the  ad- 
dress it  was  gratifying 
to  mark  the  intelligent 
attention  given  to  the 
words  spoken  and  the 
seemingly  hearty  ap- 
pro \-  a  1  of  certain 
American  methods  of 
education  that  were 
urged  for  adoption. 
The  Japanese  as  a  stu- 
dent is  differential, 
industrious,  and  es- 
pecialh'  quick  to  ab- 
sorb new  ideas.  He  is 
naturally  self-confi- 
dent, and  consequently 
self-conceited;  but 
this,  let  it  be  hoped, 
will  pass  away  when 
more  progress  has 
been  made  by  him. 
His  artistic  percep- 
tions are  remarkable. 

National  Art. 

In  the  fifteenth 
century  Italian  paint- 
ing was  at  its  zenith 
and  Japanese  art  en- 
tered upon  its  most 
glorious  period,  but 
we  have  no  facts  to  prove  that  there  was  any  influence  of  the  one  on  the  other. 
The  founder  of  the  first  school  of  Japanese  art  was  a  Buddhist  priest,  and  not 
seldom  since  have  these  representatives  of  the  popular  religion  been  found  fostering 


JAPANESE   ACTRESS. 


62 


AROUND    THE    WORLD 


and  encouraging,  in  many  ways,  the  artistic  in  different  directions.  The  bold 
dash  that  is  observed  in  all  Japanese  paintings  is  due  probably  to  the  national 
habit  ot  writing  and  drawing  from  the  elbow,  not  from  the  wrist.  The  laws  of 
perspective  and  of  light  and  shadow  are  disregarded  to  an  alarming  extent, 
although  the  main  study  in  the  picture  may  be  exact  and  faultless  in  detail.  The 
Japanese  artist  will  give  you  a  tree  which  is  excellent  in  every  detail,  but  he 
will  accompany  it  by  certain  atmospheric  and  topographical  peculiarities  which 
defy  the  wildest  and  most    eccentric    imagination.      He  does  not    believe  that 


JAPANESE  CARRIAGE. 

mechanical  symmetry  makes  for  beauty,  and,  to  some  extent,  he  has  revolution- 
ized  art  by  teaching  the  artistic  world  the  charm  of  irregularity. 

Its  Eccentricities. 

In  the  decorative  art  the  Japanese  may  be  said  to  lead  the  world  in  certain 
respects,  but  in  this  special  work  their  art  breaks  every  rule  of  the  recognized 
schools.  Who  would  look  on  that  teapot  for  perspective  art?  Yet  all  of  your 
fine  masters  cannot  produce  such  a  fine  work  as  that.  What  many  of  the  Euro- 
pean artists  laughed  at,  not   long  since,  they  are  trying  in  vain  now  to  imitate. 

The  art  of  Cloisonne  is  seen  to  perfection  in  Japan.  A  thin  network  of  cop- 
per or  brass  is  soldered  to  a  foundation.of  solid  metal,  and  the  cells  of  the  network 


WITH    EYKS   WIDE   OPEN.  63 

— the  cloisons,  as  they  are  called — are  filled  in  with  enamel  paste  of  various 
colors.  By  baking,  rubbing  and  polishing  the  surface  becomes  perfectly  hard 
and  smooth. 

Means  of  Transport. 

The  jinrikisha  (meaning  "man-power  vehicle"  )  is  an  institution  of  the  land, 
and,  literally,  it  is  the  pull-man-car  of  Japan.  The  story  goes  that  an  American 
missionary  by  the  name  of  Goble,  desiring  with  his  good  wife  to  accomplish  cer- 


JINRIKISHA. 

tain  missionary  work,  and  finding  it  hard  to  find  conveyances  through  the  rural 
districts,  fell  upon  the  invention  of  this  two-wheel  vehicle,  to  be  drawn  by  a  single 
man.  The  invention  immediately  became  popular,  and  in  1891  there  were 
thirty-eight  thousand  jinrikishas  in  use  alone  in  Tokio.  The  ports  of  China 
and  Malay  have  the  craze,  and  the  thousands  of  coolies  find  emplox-ment,  while 
the  residents,  with  more  coins,  are  made  comfortable  by  them.  As  the  total  cost 
of  the  outfit  of  a  jinrikishaman,  coat,  tight  pants,  hat  and  lantern,  is  only  $4.00. 


64 


AROUND   THK    WORLD 


and  he  gets  ten  or  fifteen  cents  for  a  pull  of  two  miles,  it  can   be  made  quite  a 
paying  business  by  a  stout  oriental. 

The  Press. 

One  who  has  had  an  American  paper  placed  on  his  breakfast  table  for 
years  is  somewhat  amused  when  he  picks  up  a  Japan  daily.  But  considering 
the  fact  that  Mr.  John  Black  founded  Japanese  journalism  in  1872,  connnendable 
progress  has  been  made.      Four  years  ago  there  were  six  hundred  and  fifty-eight 


IN  THE    HOMK,   JAPAN. 

newspapers,  magazines,  journals  of  different  kinds  published  in  the  empire. 
Newspapers,  like  books,  are  written  in  the  "written  language,"  which  is  quite 
different  in  grammar  and  vocabulary  from  the  colloquial  language. 

The  press  laws  in  Japan  are  very  rigorous.  Article  XIX  of  the  newspaper 
regulations  reads  thus:  "When  a  new.spaper  has  printed  matter  which  is  consid- 
ered prejudicial  to  public  order  or  subversive  of  public  morality,  the  minister  of 
state  for  the  interior  is  empowered  to  suspend  its  publication,  either  totalh'  or 
temporarily."  During  the  month  following  the  proclamation  of  the  constitution 
the  brethren  of  the  press  expressed  themselves  rather  freely,  and  newspapers  were 
suspended  at  the  rate  of  two  a  Vv^eek.  What  a  blessing  to  a  long-suffering  public 
in  America  if  there  could  be  a  few  suspensions  of  this  kind! 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 
Railroads. 


65 


The  first  railroad  built  in  Japan  was  eighteen  miles  in  length  and  connected 
Yokohama  and  Tokio.  This  was  opened  in  1872.  On  account  of  the  moun- 
tainous character  of  the  country  and  the  sudden  swelling  of  the  streams,  Japan  is 
not  adapted  for  railroad  construction,  but,  despite  these  disadvantages,  this 
improvement  has  steadily  gone  on,  and  now  the  total  mileage  is  over  two  thou- 
sand. Although  this  enterprise  was  begun  by  the  government,  railroads  are  not 
exclusively  owned  by  the  power  at  Tokio.      The  railways  are  narrow  gauge  and 


JAPANESE    DOMESTICS. 

the  rates  are  only  about  one  cent  a  mile.  The  telegraph  wire  follows  the  rail- 
road everywhere  through  the  empire,  and  often  it  stretches  over  the  mountains 
where  the  trains  of  cars  are  not  seen.  Messages  are  written  and  transmitted 
in  the  vernacular,  and  ten"kana"  characters  can  be  sent  to  any  part  of  the 
empire  for  fifteen  cents.  Perhaps  when  Japan  becomes  more  civilized  she  will  put 
her  railroads  and  telegraph  system  into  the  hands  of  noble-hearted  monopolies, 
and  then  the  dear  people  will  pay  three  cents  to  ride  a  mile  and  five  cents  to  tele- 
graph a  word ! 
5 


66 


AROUND  THE  WORLD 
Funeral  of  a  Prince. 


On  the  day  of  our  arrival  in  Tokio,  the  national  capital,  the  funeral  of 
Prince  Kitashirakawa,  the  uncle  of  the  Emperor,  took  place.  The  Prince,  it 
seems,  had  distinguished  himself  in  bringing  under  Japanese  power  the  undis- 
ciplined and  demoralized  Chinese  of  Formosa,  and  because  of  this  and  his  near 
relationship  to  the  ruler  of  the  land,  he  was  honored  in  life  and  death. 

The  Official  Gazette  published  in  detail  the  order  of  the  funeral  cortege,  of 
the  march  and  of  the  last  obsequies  at  the  temple,  and  these  were  carried  out  in 


ENTRANCE   TO  JAPANESE   TEMPI,E. 

strict  adherence  to  the  royal  program.  Two  hours  before  the  procession  moved 
ceremonies  began  at  the  residence,  and  then  the  train,  headed  by  the  First  and 
Third  Regiments  of  the  Imperial  Guard,  with  arms  reversed  and  two  companies 
on  foot,  moved  through  the  gates. 

The  Procession. 

On  reaching  the  street  the  order  of  the  cortege  was  as  follows:  The  herald, 
mounted  police,  inspectors,   military  band,  detachments  of  the  regiment  of  the 


WITH   EYES  WIDE   OPEN. 


67 


Imperial  Guards,  ten  banners  carried  by  white-robed  bearers,  a  Shinto  priest,  and 
ornamental  box  containing  offerings,  borne  by  four  persons  clad  in  white;  Shinto 
priests,  clothed  in  ceremonial  dress;  the  rain  coat  of  the  prince,  carried  bj^  bearers 
in  white;  mounted  Shinto  priests,  chief  priest  in  carriage,  priestly  musicians  in 
ceremonial  garb,  growing  Sakiki  trees,  presented  by  the  imperial  family,  borne 
by  special  messengers  from  the  palace ;  forty  stands  of  flowers,  huge  in  size  and 
brilliant  in  color;  decorations  of  the  deceased  prince,  borne  on  cushions  by 
officers  of  the  prince's  household ;  the  sarcophagus  of  snow-white  pine,  borne  by 


ENXRANCK    TO    SHHBA    Tr-:MPI.E,    TOKIO. 

sixteen  wrestlers,  who  had  followed  the  forces  to  Formosa ;  seventy  hakucho  in 
attendance,  wounded  military  officers  who  had  come  back  from  Formosa  with  the 
deceased  prince,  the  princely  bodyguard  of  ten  soldiers  in  the  frayed  and  travel- 
stained  garments  worn  during  the  campaign  in  Formosa,  imperial  bodyguards, 
retainers  of  the  late  prince's  household  leading  the  prince's  favorite  horses;  the 
prince's  foreign  and  Japanese  swords,  borne  by  retainers;  the  prince's  shoes, 
carried  by  retainers;  chief  mourner,  the  prince's  oldest  son,  dressed  in  coarse 
mourning  garb,  straw-sandaled,  on  foot,  followed  by  his  two  younger  brothers; 
chief  steward  of  the  prince,  on  foot;  the  prince's  family  in  carriages,  ministers 


68 


AROUND   THE   WORIvD 


of  state,  dukes  and  marquises,  officials  of  the  second  grade,  holders  of  the  highest 
orders  of  decorations,  nobles  by  creation,  peers,  members  of  the  upper  and  lower 
houses,  mounted,  armed  and  rear  guard,  chief  inspector  and  police,  mounted. 

A  Brilliant  Cortege. 

The  procession,  as  may  be  imagined,  was  brilliant  and  of  great  length, 
taking  about  two  hours  to  pass  a  given  point.  Including  soldiers,  the  train  was 
supposed  to  be  composed  of  not  less  than  twelve  thousand  persons,  and  it  is 
estimated  that  two  hundred  thousand  Japanese  and  foreigners  lined  the  route  of 


TEA    DRINKING,   JAPAN. 

march.      Government    schools,  national    and   private    banks   and   governmental 
departments  were  closed  and  a  general  holiday  was  observed. 

The  upper  stories  of  buildings  along  the  line  of  march  were  deserted,  it 
being  an  act  of  sacrilege  in  Japan  to  look  down  upon  a  procession  in  which  there 
are  persons  of  exalted  rank.  When  the  temple  grounds  were  reached  the  students 
of  the  Nobles'  School,  the  foreign  consular  body  and  the  diplomatic  corps  were 
given  special  places,  and  around  the  sarcophagus  gathered  the  representatives  of 
the  Kmperor  and  Empress  and  persons  of  high  rank. 


WITH    EYES   WIDE    OPEN. 


69 


The  services  were  in  accordance  with  the  ceremonial  of  the  Shinto  sect, 
A  short  eulogy  was  pronounced ;  prayers  were  repeated ;  offerings  of  rice,  water, 
saki  and  fruits  were  made  before  the  sarcophagus,  and  a  triple  salvo  of  guns 
announced  that  the  last  ro^^al  rites  were  over. 

Japan  After  Victory. 

The  world  is  congratulating  Japan,  and  just  now  she  is  in  high  feather 
among  the  nations.  On  the  other  hand,  the  stock  of  the  people  of  the  pigtail  is 
far  below  par,  and  her  general  condition  is,  at  present,  not  very  "celestial." 


MOUNTAIN    VILLAGE,   JAPAN. 

But  Japan's  congratulation  should  not  be  given  to  her  so  unreservedly,  for 
there  is  a  loss  and  a  gain,  a  tare  and  a  tret  to  be  taken  into  account. 

What  does  she  gain  by  her  victory  over  China?  She  has  accomplished 
exploits,  has  developed  unknown  resources,  has  exposed  the  weakness  and  cor- 
ruption of  her  sister  empire,  has  brought  herself  forward  as  a  military  factor  of 
first-rate  importance  in  the  East,  has  acquired  a  commanding  position  in  the 
affairs  of  Corea,  has  had  her  treasury  enriched  by  more  than  two  hundred  mil- 
lions of  taels  of  silver  and  has  come  into  possession  of  the  great  and  rich  island 
of  Formosa.  Of  all  these  acquisitions  the  latter  is  by  far  the  most  substantial, 
and  doubtless  it  will  add  more  than  all  others  to  the  might  and  efficiency  of  Japan. 


70  AROUND    THE   WORLD 

This  change  of  ownership  is  also  most  fortunate  for  Formosa.  It  will  be  devel- 
oped better,  and  the  two  provinces  of  China,  which  lie  just  across  the  straits  and 
are  closely  connected  in  trade  with  Formosa,  will  be  found  sensitive  to  the 
evolutionar}'  and  revolutionary  forces. 

Japan's  Army  and  Navy. 

The  Japanese  soldier  has  shown  his  metal  and  the  staff  scored  high  honors, 
but  at  the  same  time  the  fighting  qualities  of  the  soldier  or  the  capacity  of  officers 
have  not  been  very  severely  tested.  If,  instead  of  fancy,  flaunting  banners  and 
the  fireworks  of  half-trained  coolies,  they  had  to  stand  before  the  deadly  hail  of 
shrapnel  and  the  crash  of  well-ordered  volleys  from  disciplined  troops,  their  equals 
in  bravery  and  patriotism,  the  result  might  not  have  been  invariably  one-sided. 

Is  Japan  really  better  off  now  than  before  the  war  ?  What  does  she  propose  to 
do  with  her  large  indemnity?  She  has  become  tremendously  ambitious,  and  now 
she  is  determined  to  make  herself  a  great  military  and  naval  power  and  to  exert 
a  potent  influence  in  the  affairs  of  Asia.  With  the  money  paid  her  b}-  China  .she 
is  going  to  fortify  her  coast,  buy  more  battleships  and  get  ready  for  another 
war  that  may  grow  out  of  the  one  that  is  just  over.  All  the  money  received 
from  China  will  soon  be  spent  in  these  preparations,  and  the  costly  navy  and 
the  fortifications  must  be  kept  up. 

Who  is  to  pay  for  all  of  this?  Japan  is  not  a  rich  commercial  nation  like 
England,  with  colonial  possessions  to  draw  on,  and  a  heavy  tax  on  her  own  peo- 
ple, essential  to  military  effectiveness,  is  apt  to  create  grievous  inward  disturbance. 

A   Costly  Prominence. 

In  other  words,  her  victory  has  placed  her  in  a  position  in  the  East  that  will 
require  her  to  spend  large  sums  of  money  to  maintain  her  prominence,  and  she 
must  necessarily  be  kept  in  constant  anxiety  for  fear  her  people  may  be  overbur- 
dened in  the  maintenance  of  the  army,  navy  and  coast  defences,  and  for  fear  that 
the  ever-watchful  Russia  may  swallow  the  chestnut  after  Japan  has  cooked  it. 

Russia  is  noted  for  her  dogged  persistency  of  purpose,  and  she  intends  to 
secure  an  opening  to  the  unfrozen  sea,  if  she  has  to  fight  for  it.  In  order  to 
accomplish  this,  she  cannot  afford  to  allow  Japan  to  gain  any  more  power.  Soon 
after  the  fall  of  Port  Arthur  the  Japanese  army  would  have  been  in  the  capital 
of  China  had  not  Russia,  indirectly,  changed  the  tide  of  affairs.  In  the  settle- 
ment of  the  Corean  question  Russia's  fine  hand  was  again  seen,  and  many  of  the 
intelligent  Japanese  think  that  Japan  did  the  fighting  and  Russia  is  reaping  the 
fruits  of  the  victory.  A  leading  Japan  paper  last  week  contained  this  significant 
paragraph :  "Japan  can  supply  the  men  and  Great  Britain  the  naval  power,  which 
would  more  than  balance  the  Russian  ^nd  French  preponderance  over  Japan. ' ' 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


71 


But  for  Japan  to  become  a  party  in  European  politics  means  more  war,  more 
cost,  more  sacrifice  and  more  national  uneasiness.  If  she  had  kept  at  home  and 
devoted  herself  to  the  industrial  development  of  her  people,  she  would  have  no 
apprehensions  of  a  foreign  war,  and  surely  she  has  enough  to  keep  her  busy  on 
her  own  unique  island.  But  she  has  taken  the  sword,  and  its  blade  may  cut  her 
own  throat  before  it  is  sheathed. 

The  Situation  in  China. 

The  late  enemy  of  Japan  presents  an  interesting  study.  To-day  we  find  in 
China  the  same  elements  at  work  which  brought  about  in  India  the  substitution 


FRUIT   MERCHANT,   JAPAK. 

of  foreign  for  native  rule.  A  tottering  imperial  autocracy,  semi-independent 
vice-royalties,  an  official  class  as  corrupt,  ignorant  and  self-seeking  as  anj'  Indian 
court  could  produce;  great  unpaid  armies  without  leaders  or  discipline,  such  as 
Clive  and  Wellesly  so  easily  destroyed,  and  a  people  who  do  not  know  what 
the  word  patriotism  means,  and  who  will  sell  themselves  to  the  highest  bidder. 
If  history  repeats  itself  it  takes  no  prophet  or  son  of  a  prophet  to  foresee  the 
inevitable. 

It  is  currently  reported    that    the    late    financial    commissioner    at  Canton 
was  appointed  some  time  since  by  imperial  edict  on  a  special  mission  to  convey 


72  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

to  St.  Petersburg  a  secret  treaty  between  China  and  Russia,  which  concedes  to 
the  latter  the  right  to  build  railways  through  Manchuria  and  it  also  grants  to 
Russia  other  privileges  of  the  kind,  which  proves  beyond  doubt  the  ten- 
dency of  China  to  accede  to  the  wishes  of  a  nation,  into  whose  hands 
she  seems  quite  willing,  practically,  to  place  herself  during  the  misfortunes 
that  now  overshadow  her.  The  fact  that  China  reserves  the  right  to  pur- 
chase from  Russia  these  railroads  in  twenty  years  only  proves  that  her  star 
of  hope  is  still  twinkling,  however  dimly,  in  the  distant  sky.  All  these  things 
are  hastening  forward  the  time  when  the  much-talked-of  Chinese  wall  will 
entirely  crumble  before  the  influences  from  without,  and  when  a  nation  of 
400,000,000  population  will  be  permeated,  let  us  hope,  by  the  golden  light  of  a 
new  national  life. 

Japan'5  New  Attitude. 

The  remarkable  progress  of  Japan  during  the  last  score  of  years,  in  moral 
and  intellectual,  as  well  as  material  affairs,  gave  rise  to  high  hopes  that  the 
Gospel  of  Christ,  as  well  as  forms  of  Western  civilization,  would  triumph  in  the 
Mikado's  empire.  But  the  recent  turn  of  affairs  seem,  for  a  while  at  least,  to 
check  this  advancement.  The  ascendency  of  the  Samurai,  which  is  the  revival 
of  the  old-time  feudal  aristocracy,  means  that  our  Western  merchant  and  mis- 
sionary must  contend  against  an  ancient  conservatism,  which  was  a  blight  upon 
Japan  for  so  many  years.  The  fact  that  there  are  sixty  thousand  Protestant 
converts  in  the  country  is  an  evidence  that  Christianity  has  made  gratifying 
progress;  but  as  the  Samurai,  lately  come  to  power,  emphasize  the  divine  origin 
of  the  Emperor,  it  can  readily  be  seen  that  the  advance  of  the  Bible  means  the 
decay  of  this  nation ;  hence  we  have  here  a  partial  explanation  of  the  new 
attitude  toward  foreigners,  and  especially  missionaries.  Again,  successes  in  sev- 
eral directions,  of  late,  have  increased  the  conceit  of  the  little  man  of  the  Sunrise 
Kingdom;  and  in  more  than  one  quarter  of  Japan  the  converts  to  Christianity 
are  reported  as  exclaiming  to  their  fathers  in  the  Gospel:  "We  have  no.  need  of 
you  any  longer.  We  know  how  to  preach  and  teach  Christianity;  provide  us 
with  money  and  you  can  go  back  home;"  and  a  native  paper  suggests  the  intro- 
duction of  a  new  Christianity,  founded  upon  conditions  existing  among  the 
Japanese.  In  every  part  of  the  empire  the  missionaries  of  the  Cross  are  laboring 
prudently  and  untiringly  against  these  obstacles,  and  we  have  faith  that  the  Truth 
will  eventually  prevail. 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  INTERIOR  OF  JAPAN. 

FORTNIGHT'S  study  of  the  interior  of  Japan  brings  before 

us  many  features  of   life  that  are  characteristic   of    this 

people.     In  the  little  coaches  of  the  railroad  train  or  behind 

the  trotting  jinrikasha  man  we  pass  thousands  of  acres  laid 

off  in   tiny  squares  with   all  the  precision  and  regularity  of 

flower-garden  beds. 

The  glory  of  the  harvest  time  has  come;  the  sheaves  of  rice 
are  bound  most  artistically  about  the  trunks  of  the  trees  or  around 
great  uplifted  and  stationary  bamboo  poles;  the  peasants,  male 
and  female,  are  busy  gathering  the  last  of  the  ripened  grain ;  the  lazy  hump-back 
cow  or  ox  creeps  along  nearly  wholly  covered  by  his  great  burden;  the  farm  vil- 
lages, with  low  roofs  of  thatched  rice  straw,  appear  in  the  distance,  and  from 
trees,  housetops  and  poles  are  fljnng  bright-colored  flags,  for  it  is  the  beginning 
of  the  harvest  festival,  when  the  gods  are  eating  new  rice. 

An  Industrious  People. 

There  is  no  people  more  industrious  than  the  Japanese.  This  is  true  of  the 
man  and  woman,  the  young  and  the  old.  Whether  you  look  into  the  tiny  shops 
that  open  into  the  street,  or  study  the  moving  mass  of  coolies  along  the  sea  or 
river  fronts,  or  watch  the  active  crowds  on  the  streets,  or  visit  the  rural  districts, 
you  are  impressed  by  this  fact.  This  industry  is  combined  with  a  perfection  in 
detail  of  their  work  that  is  remarkable. 

I  know  of  no  nation  that  does  better  work  on  small  surfaces,  that  can  accom- 
plish more  with  raw  materials,  and  that  accomplish  as  much  with  as  rough  tools 

as  the  Japanese. 

Farming. 

It  is  a  marvel  to  see  what  they  accomplish  in  the  line  of  agriculture  with  so 
manj'  odds  against  them.  Along  the  steep  slopes  of  the  mountain  side,  in  the 
patches  of  earth  between  great  boulders  of  rock,  in  the  naturally  barren  plains, 
made  fertile  b}^  a  perfect  system  of  irrigation,  3'ou  find  fine  illustrations  of  the 
farming  art.  All  farmers  in  Japan  live  in  villages,  and  each  village  is  presided 
over  b)'  a  headman,  who  settles  all  trouble  among  the  farmers  and  who  is  the 
supreme  local  authority. 

(73) 


74 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


The  government  land  tax  is  2^^  per  cent  of  the  land  value,  to  which  is 
added  the  ken  or  district  tax,  which  makes  the  total  from  3  to  5  per  cent.  After 
bad  harvests  it  has  been  found  impossible  for  the  peasants  to  pay  this  tax,  and 
not  seldom  has  there  been  great  dissatisfaction  among  this  class,  bordering,  some 
years  since,  on  insurrection. 

Rice,  wheat,  barley,  millet,  guinea  corn,  maize  and  many  varieties  of  vege- 
tables are  abundant  in  good  seasons,  and  the  small  orange  and  large  persimmon 
are  found  on  the  breakfast  and  dinner  table  table  nearly  the  year  round. 


RICE   PLANTING,   JAPAN. 

More  and  more  attention  is  being  given  to  the  cultivation  of  the  camphor 
tree,  and  this  useful  drug  is  quite  a  source  of  revenue. 

Silk  Culture. 

Silk  culture  has  made  Japan  famous,  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  her  citi- 
zens are  employed  in  preparing  this  article  for  the  European  market. 

The  silk,  as  is  well  known,  originates  in  the  cocoons,  a  pupa  covering  of  a 
group  of  worms  which  are  called  spinners.  The  mulberry  spinner  is  the  best 
known  and  most  important  of  all  of  these.     They  differ  from  one  another  in  all 


WITH   EYES  WIDE   OPEN. 


75 


their  stages  of  development — as  eggs,  caterpillars,  cocoons  and  butterflies — espe- 
cially as  to  size  and  form  of  caterpillars  and  color  of  cocoons. 

As  the  eggs  have  very  fragile  shells,  the  butterflies  are  made  to  deposit  them 
on  boards  made  of  bast  paper.  These  stick  fast,  and  from  them  the  young  grubs 
creep  out  on  the  cardboard.  After  the  third  casting  the  peculiar  character  of  the 
grub  appears— yellow  eyes,  with  black  arches  and  dark  sickles  or  half-moons  on 
the  back.      Until  the  second  or  third  casting  they  must  be  fed  with  chopped  mul- 


WORKING   WITH   SILK   WEAVERS,   JAPAW. 

berry  leaves,   which   must  be  frequently  given  them,    while    thej'    are    kept    in 
clean,  dry  rooms,  well  ventilated. 

Before  the  silk-worm  begins  to  spin  it  loses  its  appetite,  crawls  about  rest- 
lessly and  becomes  translucent.  But  the  internal  change  is  even  greater.  The 
two  spinning  glands  become  filled  with  transparent,  thick,  fluid  silk  stuff,  which 
comes  forth  from  them  when  the  worm  begins  to  spin  through  the  spinnin^^ 
teats  in  its  head,  stiffening  in  two  separate  threads  and  become  cemented  in  a 
double  thread.    After  two  or  three  days  the  worm  changes  into  a  chr5'salis.      First 


76 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


it  makes  a  loose  case,  and  then,  supported  by  this,  the  body  gets  gradually 
smaller,  forming  the  cocoon.  This  consists  of  a  thread  from  400  to  500  metres 
long  and  becoming  thinner  and  weaker  toward  the  centre. 

I  am  told  upon  close  examination  with  a  magnifying  glass  a  cross  section  of 
a  cocoon  wall  shows  five  to  ten  layers  of  silk  formed  by  the  caterpillar  in  contin- 
uous backward  turns,  one  on  another.      A  week  or  ten  days  after  the  caterpillars 


STREET   SCENE   IN    YOKOHAMA,   JAPAN. 

have  spun,  the  cocoons  are  taken  from  their  resting-places  and  separated  from  the 
floss  silk  that  surrounds  them. 

Lacquer  Industry. 

In  the  thatch-roofed  huts  of  the  peasants  among  the  mountains  beyond  Nikko 
and  in  the  magnificent  palace  of  the  Mikado  at  Kioto  I  saw  exquisite  lacquer- 
work.  This  is  found  everywhere.  While  I  write  there  is  before  me  an  "Autum- 
nal Landscape  by  Moonlight,"  in  lacquer-work,  which  shows  ten  or  twelve  shades 
of  color,  and  which  is  quite  artistic  in  design. 

The  material  of  the  industry  is  the  sap  of  the  lac  tree,  cultivated  in  Japan 
and  China.  The  extraction  of  the  lac  is  done  by  making  a  horizontal  slit  upon 
the  tree  during  the  season  from  April  to  October.     The  autumn  product  is  less 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN. 


77 


watery  and  more  valuable.  The  scratching-sickle,  a  thin  iron  plate,  bent  like  a 
fishhook,  and  a  flat  iron  spoon  with  a  short,  bent-over  point,  are  the  instruments 
used  in  obtaining  it.  The  first  is  used  to  cut  the  tree  and  the  other  for  scraping 
out  the  channels  when  full  of  lac  and  lifting  it  into  the  small  wooden  or  bamboo 
pail. 

The  raw  material  is  purified  from  foreign  substances  by  being  pressed 
through  cotton  cloth  and  hemp  linen,  and  afterward  it  passes  through  a  process 
of  evaporation  in  the  sun  or  by  means  of  a  mild  heat  over  a  roal  fire.     The  laying 


JAPAN    FAN    DEADER. 

on  of  the  coatings  requires  the  greatest  care,  and  is  gone  over  crosswise  with  the 
brush,  first  in  one  direction  and  then  in  another.  After  the  groundwork  is  com- 
pleted it  is  rubbed  until  a  smooth  surface  of  dark-gray  becomes  gray-black.  On 
small  and  large  surfaces  we  find  a  great  variety  of  patterns  in  lacquer- work,  and 
some  of  them  are  richly  ornamental. 

Castle  by  the  Sea. 

Through  the  kindly  consideration  of  the  United  States  Minister  at  Tokio 
we  were  sent  passports  to  the  Mikado's  palace  at  Kioto,  the  old  capital  of  Japan, 
and  to  the  neighboring  castle.      The  decorations  in  ivory,  bronze,  wood-carving, 


78 


AROUND    THE    WORLD 


enamel,  porcelain,  wall-painting,  embroiden-  and  inlaid  metal-work  give  proof  of 
the  highest  genius  in  certain  directions;  and  the  throne-chair,  inlaid  with 
mother-of-pearl,  is  a  gem  in  art.  I  pushed  aside  the  exquisite  silk  curtains  of 
his  Majesty's  bed  and  looked  upon  the  spot  where,  last  fall,  he  rested  his  uneasy 
head  while  in  Kioto. 

From  Kobe  to  Moji  we  sailed  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  through  the  entire 
length  of  the  famous  Inland  sea.  By  many  this  is  regarded  as  the  most  beautiful 
water  in  the  world,  and  surely  it  is  hard  to  imagine  anything  more  enchanting. 


INLAND    SEA,    JAPAN. 

Our  boat  winds  about  island  after  island,  passes  through  narrow  passages  of 
water,  overshadowed  by  great  bluffs  from  the  headland,  and  during  every  turn 
of  our  noble  steamer  a  new  panorama  of  beauty  opened  before  us.  The  daj^  was 
bright  and  the  night  was  lit  by  a  full  moon.  The  play  of  the  moonlight  on  the 
rippling  face  of  the  silver  sea  and  the  soft  glow  on  the  hundreds  of  islands  in 
the  still  night  made  me  quite  forget  my  cabin-room,  and  much  of  the  night  was 
spent  on  the  deck. 

The  entrance  to  the  sea  at  Moji  is  guarded  by  fortifications  that  line  the 
summits  of  the  hills,  and  the  full  supply  of  cannon,  occupying  either  side  of  the 


WITH    EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


79 


strait,  would   doubtless  prove   to   be   au   impressive    argument   to   an    incoming 
enemy. 

It  was  just  here,  in  the  town  of  Bakan  (Shimonoseki  on  foreign  maps),  that 
the  Chinese  Viceroy,  Li  Hung  Chang,  "the  Napoleon  of  the  East,"  as  General 
Grant  called  him,  met 
the  representatives  of  the 
Mikado,  and  I  saw  where 
he  was  shot  while  riding 
through  one  of  the  nar- 
row streets  of  the  village. 
This  murderous  act  of  a 
Japanese  crank  cost 
Japan  dearly,  but  as  cap- 
ital punishment  is  not 
tolerated  in  the  land,  the 
criminal  was  only  sent 
to  prison. 

In  a  Japanese  Hotel. 

At  Kokura  we  had 
the  new  and,  it  is  to  hv 
hoped,  never- to-be-re- 
peated experience  of 
spending  the  night  in  a 
Japanese  hotel,  pure  and 
simple.  This  was  done 
at  the  urgent  solicitation 
of  two  friends,  whom  wc 
are  trying  hard  to  for- 
give. On  entering  we 
left  our  shoes  at  the  door 
and  were  supplied  with 
cloth  slippers. 

While  our  Japanese 
supper  was  in  process  of 
preparation  we  sat  on  the  floor  around  a  hibachi  (fire  jar),  where  a  little  charcoal 
fire  was  burning  beneath  our  teapot.  The  Japanese  maids  soon  appeared  with  the 
fish,  rice,  eggs  and  certain  dishes  that  we  took  on  blind  faith, and  our  performance 
with  chop-sticks  was  as  amusing  as  it  was  deliberate.  A  full  bill  of  fare  was 
served,  and  we  were  obliged,  despite  hints  and  jokes  to  the  contrary,  to  taste 


FAVORITE   GAMK   WITH  JAPANESE   GIRtS. 


8o 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


everj'thing,  from  the  soup  (an  unknown  quality— not  quantity,  thanks!)  to  the 
pickles,  which  defied  analysis.  At  ten  o'clock,  after  spending  hours  in  a  sitting 
posture,  four  futons  or  thick  comforts  were  spread  on  the  floor,  at  the  head  of 
which  were  placed  white  brick-bats  for  pillows,  and  we  rolled  in,  or  rather  on. 
No  wonder  that  Jacob  dreamed  under  the  circumstances.  I  dreamed,  too,  but  my 
dreams  were  by  no  means  heavenly.  Far  in  the  night,  when  the  novelty  and 
romance  of  the  performance  had  long  passed  away,  I  quietly  hopped  over  my 
tossing  comrades,  and  securing  my  overcoat,  wTapped  my  brick  pillow  in  it,  and 
the  plane  of  my  dreams  arose  to  the  level  of  the  earth. 


AT   NIKKO,   JAPAN. 

They  say  that  the  Japanese  sit  up  late.  In  doing  so  thej^  manifest  excellent 
judgment  and  common  sense  and  prove  that  they  are  not  fond  of  self-sacrifice. 

Japanese  Scenery. 

One  must  not  come  to  Japan  and  fail  to  make  an  excursion  inland  of  a  hun- 
dred miles  from  Yokohama,  with  Nikko  as  the  objective  point. 

From  the  moment  you  leave  the  crowded  station  of  the  city  on  the  sea  until 
you  look  upon  the  little  village  that  nestles  at  the  foot  of  the  most  picturesque 
mountains  of  Japan  one  scene  of  beauty  and  interest  after  another  comes  into  view. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


8i 


Although  you  may  have  au  interesting  novel  on  your  lap,  very  few  of  its 
pages  are  read,  for  now  the  steep  steps  to  a  Shinto  shrine  attracts  your  attention; 
now  a  great  Buddhist  temple  appears  in  a  neighboring  grove;  now  a  gaudy 
funeral  procession  passes  by ;  now  5'our  train  is  dashing  along  the  outskirts  of  a 
straw-built  Japanese  village;  now  a  group  of  rustic  men  and  women,  wearing 
loose  upper  garments  and  coarse  blue  tights,  pause  in  the  midst  of  their  farm 
work,  and  gaze  with  wide-open  eyes  at  the  moving  coaches;  now  you  are  passing 
through  a  bamboo  grove ;  now  you  are  attracted  by  a  group  of  women  and  girls 


WORK  ON  TEMPI.E,  JAPAN. 

attending  to  the  silk-worms  or  spinning  the  silk  and  winding  the  thread ;  now 
you  are  watching  the  crude  process  of  grinding  the  grain  between  great  flat  rocks, 
or  beating  the  straw  with  rods;  and  thus,  although  your  train  has  made  only 
twenty  miles  an  hour,  the  trip  seems  too  short  when  the  conductor  unlocks  your 
coach-door  and  cries  out  "Nikko. " 

Sacred  Shrines  and  Legends. 

Nikko  is  especially  noted  for  its  temple.^   which  for  their  architecture,  size 
and  costliness,  are  as  remarkable  as  any  in  Japan.      Millions  of  dollars  have  been 
spent   in   these   buildings,    and   the   curious   ornamental    work,    the   hideously 
6 


Si 


AROUND    THE    WORLD 


grotesque  idols  in  bronze,  the  elaborate  wood -carvings  of  vines,  flowers,  birds 
and  beasts  display  the  talent  as  well  as  the  superstition  of  the  people. 

The  front  of  one  building  is  ornamented  by  the  figures  of  three  monkeys; 
one  with  his  hands  over  his  eyes,  that  he  may  see  nothing  bad;  another  covering 
his  mouth,  that  he  may  say  nothing  that  is  wrong,  and  the  third  holding  his  ears, 
that  he  ma}-  hear  nothing  that  may  offend  his  monkeyship.  At  the  entrance  of 
these  temples  are  great  brass  gongs,  and  above  them  hang  metallic  hammers 
with  ropes  attached. 

When  petitions  are  to  be  offered  most  unearthly  noises  are  made  to  awake 
and  attract  tlie  attention  of  the  Deit}^ !     No  amount  of  clatter,  however,  is  sup- 


HOLY   HORSE   BEFORE    BUDDHIST   TEMPLE,    NIKKO,   JAPAN. 

posed  to  arrest  the  attention  of  the  god  until  the  worshiper  casts  into  the  open 
box  within  the  door  his  contribution  of  money. 

There  is  an  interesting  legend,  reminding  us  of  a  certain  classic  fable,  that 
is  associated  with  the  carvings  on  these  temples.  The  story  goes  that  this  won- 
derful work  was  done  by  a  left-handed  dwarf,  and  while  he  was  ornamenting  the 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  83 

temples  he  fell  in  love  with  a  beautiful  girl  of  Nikko,  who  spurned  his  addresses 
ou  account  of  his  deformity  of  person.  She  was  unyielding,  despite  the  evidences 
of  his  genius  and  his  tender  pleadings;  and,  at  last,  nearly  heart-broken,  he 
returned  to  his  native  city,  Tokio,  where  he  carved  an  image  of  his  loved  one, 
which  was  so  perfect  that  the  gods  endowed  it  with  life,  and  the  artist  lived  with 
it,  as  his  wife,  all  during  his  life  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  greatest  happiness. 

Hountains  and  Honkeys. 

Early  in  the  morning  we  engaged  jinrikishas,  and,  with  two  men  to  each 
vehicle,  we  passed  out  of  the  village  on  a  narrow  road,  with  a  dashing  mountain 
stream  on  one  side  and  the  precipitous  heights  on  the  other.  For  eight  miles  we 
ascended  the  steep  and  circuitous  path,  stopping  now  and  then  to  refresh  our- 
selves at  a  tea-house  or  to  admire  the  mountain  panorama. 

We  paused  for  quite  a  while  before  a  cataract,  whose  waters  fell  nearly  a 
thousand  feet  from  the  bluff  to  the  echoing  chasm  beneath,  and  watched  the  great 
volume  of  water  until  it  passed  into  a  cloud}'  spray  in  its  great  leap. 

xVt  one  time  as  we  looked  out  from  a  bench  before  a  tea-house,  we  could  see 
three  heights  of  mountain  peaks,  rising  one  above  the  other,  and  down  the  valley 
gorges  before  us  three  plunging  streams  foamed  over  the  great  boulders  of  rock, 
turning  in  their  excited  rage  into  pale,  quivering  waterfalls  as  they  threw  them- 
selves recklessly  against  the  sides  of  the  mountain  into  the  valle}-  below ! 

Suddenly  one  of  my  jinrikisha  men  exclaimed  in  English  that  was  more 
euphonious  than  classic,  "Moonkee,"  and  there  before  us  were  six  or  seven  of 
these  comical  little  creatures  as  self-satisfied  as  any  other  Japanese  could  possibly 
be.  Whenever  I  look  a  monkey  in  the  face  I  think  of  the  words  of  a  certain 
American  professor,  who,  while  lecturing  on  evolution,  seeing  that  the  class  was 
inattentive  to  his  words,  exclaimed,  "Gentlemen,  while  I  am  discussing  the 
monkey  I  desire  you  to  look  me  right  straight  in  the  face!" 

One  of  Japan's  Five  Wonders. 

The  object  of  our  mountain  trip  was  a  visit  to  the  celebrated  Chuzen-ji  Lake, 
which  is  one  of  the  five  wonders  of  Japan. 

Before  reaching  the  mountain  top  our  path  for  a  mile  or  two  lay  through 
snow  several  inches  in  depth,  and  as  we  made  a  sharp  turn  there  lay  before  us 
the  rippling  face  of  this  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  thousands  of  feet  above  the 
village  we  had  left  some  hours  before. 

No  word,  no  brush,  can  describe  or  paint  this  transparent  body  of  water, 
lifted  so  near  and  reflecting  so  perfectly  the  deep-blue  sky,  and  there  seems  to  be 
no  satisfactory  explanation  of  this  strange  phenomenon  in  nature — a  lake  filling 
the  empty  cone  of  the  mountain ! 


84 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


In  Virginia  and  in  North  Carolina  we  find  similar  sheets  of  water,  but  thej' 
are  not  so  elevated  and  picturesque  as  the  Chuzen-ji. 

Curious  Contrasts. 

I  noticed  on  this  trip,  more  than  while  I  was  nearer  the  coast,  how  com- 
pletely the  Japanese  are  our  antipodes  in  many  respects,  and  how  opposite  are 
many  of  their  methods  and  manners. 

The  few  horses  they  have  are  stalled  with  their  heads  to  the  passageway, 
and  they  are  shod  with  close-braided  rice-straw  in  the  place  of  iron  shoes.     The 


JAPAN    LADY    IN  JINRIKISHA. 

carpenters  draw  the  plane  toward  them  instead  of  pushing  it  from  them,  and  the 
tailor  sews  from  him,  not  toward  his  bod}',  holding  the  thread,  not  with  his 
fingers,  but  with  his  toes. 

Smoke  from  our  fireplaces  escapes  through  the  chimneys  outside  of  the 
house;  smoke  ascends  from  their  brasiers  inside  of  the  room,  finding  its  way  out 
at  the  doors  and  windows. 

Leaving  the  train  and  boat  in  my  tour  southward  it  was  a  pleasant  experience 
to  travel  thirty  miles  a  day  in  a  comfortable  jinrikisha,  drawn  by  a  muscular, 


WITH   EYES   WIDE  OPEN.  85 

long-winded  Japanese;  and  thus  I  was  enabled  personally  to  study  the  customs 
and  characteristics  of  the  people  living  in  the  southern  part  of  the  country. 

The  Two=Legged  Horse  and  Two=Wheeled  Carriage. 

As  the  jinrikisha  is  an  institution  of  Japan,  I  may  be  allowed  to  speak  more 
particvilarly  of  it.  It  is  estimated  that  more  than  one  million  of  Japanese  are 
employed  in  the  transportation  of  persons  and  commodities  from  place  to  place 
in  Japan ;  and  one-fourth  of  these  pull  the  jinrikisha.  The  human  horses  who 
dash  along  the  streets  of  the  cities  and  roads  of  the  countrj-,  pulling  these  two- 
wheeled  vehicles,  form  a  profession  within  themselves;  and  as  the  result  of 
severe  training  from  early  youth,  they  are  enabled  to  stand  a  strain  on  their 
muscles  that  is  marvelous.  Ten  years  of  this  toil  tell  on  the  well-knit  frame  of 
the  little  man;  and  his  once  strong,  active  form  becomes  bent,  ill-shapen  and 
comparatively  feeble.  On  one  of  my  long  journeys,  the  jinrikisha-man  cast  from 
him  every  vestige  of  clothing  except  the  breech-cloth ;  and  during  the  trip  the 
brave  little  two-legged  horse  trotted  along  at  seven  miles  an  hour,  while  the  per- 
spiration dropped  from  his  brow  and  face,  and  stood  in  beads  on  his  quivering, 
naked  back. 

He  lives  largely  upon  rice,  and  consumes  as  much  as  a  sho,  or  more 
than  a  quart  and  a  half  during  a  day  of  excessive  toil.  It  is  painful  to  see  an 
old,  nearly  worn-out  man  with  a  mushroom  hat,  staggering  along  in  his  effort 
to  pull  a  double  jinrikisha  in  which  a  whole  family  is  seated.  These  human 
pullers  are  generally  divided  into  three  classes:  The  Kaka^-e  form  the  aristocracy 
of  the  profession;  they  are  well-dressed,  well-fed  and  well-paid;  and  while  on  a 
fast  dash  they  enjoy  practically  the  right  of  way.  The  Yadoguruma  class  have 
their  regular  stands  and  regular  customers;  and  the  Tsujiguruma  men  are  the 
poorest  and  most  miserable,  corresponding  to  the  pitiable  "night  hawks"  of  the 
cab  profession. 

The  cost  of  a  new  jinrikisha  is  about  ten  dollars;  but  for  half  of  this 
amount  a  good  vehicle  can  be  bought.  The  keeper  of  a  stand  takes  15  per 
cent  of  the  money  made  by  the  men  under  his  emplo}-,  and  in  addition,  these 
toilers  must  pay  from  one  and  a  half  to  two  yen  (seventy-five  cents  to  one  dollar) 
a  month  for  the  use  of  the  carriage.  The  prices  paid  for  jinrikisha  rides  var}- 
according  to  the  class  of  men  you  emploj-.  First-class  men,  from  eighteen  to 
thirt}'  years  of  age,  who  are  strong  and  swift,  are  paid  four  cents  an  hour;  but 
between  the  ages  of  thirty  and  fifty,  they  are  not  regarded  as  first-class,  and  are 
paid  from  one  and  a  half  to  three  cents  for  the  same  time.  Both  the  men  and 
vehicles  undergo  annual  inspection  by  the  police,  and  in  1895  about  two  thousand 
jinrikishas  and  fifteen  hundred  jinrikisha-men  were  rejected  in  the  city  of  Tokio. 
Before  the  ride  and  during  the  ride  the  human  horse  in  Japan  is  all  smiles  and 


86  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

bows;  but  when  5-011  descend  from  your  seat  then  comes  the  tug-of— wages,  it 
matters  little  how  distinct  has  been  the  previous  agreement. 

As  the  tourist  travels  through  inland  Japan  he  is  impressed  by  the  thick 
settlement  of  the  country.  The  rural  districts  are  full  of  people;  nearly  every 
woman  has  a  baby  lashed  to  her  back,  and  the  numerical  increase  seems  far 
greater  than  the  increase  of  available  wealth. 

Instructive  Statistics. 

The  government  statistics  show  that  while  only  between  twelve  and  thirteen 
millions  of  acres  are  under  cultivation,  over  forty  millions  of  natives  live  on  these 
islands,  and  a  still  stranger  fact,  there  are  30,000,000  pounds  of  tea,  5,000,000 
pounds  of  raw  silk  and  40,000,000  pounds  of  rice  exported  every  year. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  the  population  of  Japan  was  as  follows :  Num- 
ber of  families,  7,883,369;  individuals,  41,810,202;  males,  21,121,398;  females, 
20,688,804.  As  compared  with  the  previous  year  the  figures  show  an  increase  of 
24,872  families  and  424,695  individuals.  There  were  1,208,918  births  and  840,- 
741  deaths  during  the  year.  The  number  of  marriages  was  351,146,  that  of 
divorces  being  112,362. 

Considering  the  size  and  wealth  of  Japan  and  the  available  farm  land,  these 
statistics  present  an  interesting  problem  to  the  student  as  to  the  future  of  this, 
in  many  respects,  unique  people.  From  the  north  we  have,  by  means  of  train, 
boat  and  jinrikisha,  reached  the  southernmost  point  of  the  most  southerly  island 
of  the  empire,  and  we  are  now  writing  in  the  saloon  of  the  steamer  '  'Malacca," 
looking  out  upon  the  harbor  of  Nagasaki,  one  of  the  most  important  ports  in 
the  East. 

Noticing  the  number  of  persons  wearing  eyeglasses  in  Nagasaki,  I  made 
mention  of  this  fact  to  a  resident  of  the  place,  who  dryly  replied:  "Oh,  yes;  we 
put  green  eyeglasses  on  goats  and  then  feed  them  with  shavings.  They  think 
that  thej'  are  eating  grass!" 

As  the  full  moon  rises  over  the  crests  of  the  mountains  that  form  the  back- 
ground to  the  city,  shooting  its  silver  arrows  through  the  narrow  straits,  and  as 
the  rising  tide  lifts  our  leviathan  of  the  deep,  we  sail  past  the  lofty  island  of 
Pappenburg,  the  Tarpeian  Rock  of  the  East,  from  whose  heights  Christians  are 
said  to  have  been  hurled  during  the  seventeenth  century,  and  turn  our  bow 
toward  the  Celestial  empire. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  LAND  OF  THE  PIG-TAIL. 

On  leaving  Japan  we  decided  to  turn  from  the  route  usually  taken  by  the 
"globetrotter,"  and  instead  of  sailing  direct  for  Hong  Kong,  we  took  steamer 
across  the  Yellow  Sea,  reaching  the  largest  and  most  important  city  of  Central 
China  after  three  days  of  delightful  experience  on  the  "Malacca." 

Shanghai  is  located  on  the  Whang-pu  River,  twelve  miles  from  the  Yangtzse 
River  and  tliirty  miles  from  the  sea-coast.  Before  the  coming  of  foreigners  to 
the  city  it  was  quite  an  insignificant  place,  but  now  it  has  a  population  of  about 
five  hundred  thousand,  is  in  many  respects  the  most  protninent  commercial  city 
of  the  empire,  and  is  the  fifth  port  in  the  world  in  importance. 

As  we  neared  the  wharf  the  bund,  stretching  along  the  river  front,  presented 
a  lively  appearance.  Hundreds  of  Chinese  coolies  crowded  as  near  the  incoming 
steamer  as  the  batons  of  the  English  and  Indian  police  allowed,  filling  the  air 
with  their  babble;  through  the  wide,  well-paved  street  before  us  moved  a  great 
mass  of  people  representing  nearly  ever\'  nationality,  some  in  handsome  equipages, 
some  in  the  dashing  jinrikishas,  some  in  the  bright-colored  sedan  chairs,  borne 
by  two  or  four  men,  some  in  the  square  palanquin,  some  in  the  queer-looking 
Chinese  wheelbarrows  and  others  moving  on  foot  at  a  pace  that  would  do  honor 
to  the  Chicago  pedestrian,  and  across  the  wide  bund  were  rows  of  business 
houses  as  large  and  substantial  in  appearance  as  some  of  the  business  blocks  on 
lower  Broadway,  New  York. 

In  Shanghai  there  are  three  foreign  "Concessions,"  the  English,  the 
American  and  the  French,  all  of  which  are  outside  of  the  old  city  wall,  and 
present  as  striking  contrast  to  the  Chinese  quarters  as  could  well  be  imagined. 
The  English  and  American  "Concessions"  are  governed  by  the  same  munici- 
pality, the  council  is  elected  b}-  rate-payers,  and  the  police  is  composed  of 
Englishmen,  Chinese  and  Sikhs  from  India.  The  French  portion  of  the  city, 
extending  nearly  half  way  around  the  walls  of  the  native  city,  is  managed  quite 
differently  from  the  others,   and,  indeed,  is  a  little  French  republic  within  the 

Chinese  empire. 

The  Streets  of  Shanghai. 

The  city,  inhabited  only  by  Chinese,  is  surrounded  by  a  great  wall,  and  the 
four  entrances  are  called  the  North,  South,  East  and  West  Gates,  which  are 
closed  early  in  the  night  until  early  in  the  morning  and  guarded  all  the  time. 

(87) 


88 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


Passing  through  the  North  Gate,  we  spent  a  portion  of  a  day  threading  our  way 
through  streets  from  four  to  ten  feet  wide,  oftentimes  hemmed  in  between  the 
moving  masses  of  men,  women,  children  and  dogs,  all  equally  respectable  in 
appearance,  and  all  except  the  miserable-looking  dogs  making  the  place  hideous 
with  their  rasping,  grating  din  and  clatter.  Here  is  the  professional  beggar, 
caked  in  dirt  and  partly  covered  with  what  in  their  better  days  were  rags,  wal- 
lowing in  the  filth  of  the  street  and  with  trembling  hands  and  nodding  head 


WOMEN   PRISONERS,    SHANGHAI,    CHINA. 

pleading  for  "cash;"  here  are  the  juggler  and  the  fortune-teller,  plying  their 
trades  before  gaping  crowds;  here  we  enter  the  main  business  street,  possibly  ten 
feet  wide,  where  the  purchasers  stand  outside  of  the  shops,  which  are  filled  with 
every  conceivable  article  of  merchandise  in  every  conceivable  state  of  confusion; 
here  the  manufacturer  of  idols,  surrounded  by  grinning  and  frowning  images,  is 
trying  to  make  one  more  hideous  still  to  add  to  his  stock  of  goods;  here  are  a 
dozen  men,  with  long  iron  forks,   turning  the  fire  that  crackles  beneath  great 


< 

c 

< 

X 

V. 

o 


a: 
« 

r, 

z 

E 


90 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


copper  bowls  filled  with  boiling  opium;  here  we  pass  into  an  opium  den,  where 
scores  of  men  are  stretched  upon  double  sofas  inhaling  the  fatal  drug,  which 
they  put  into  their  long  pipes  with  large  needles  after  melting  it  in  small 
flames  that  burn  in  oil  lamps  near  by. 

A  Typical  Tea  Shop. 

Here  we  pause  in  the  door  of  a  typical  Chinese  tea-shop,  where  men  gather 
to  congratulate  each  other,  to  quarrel,  to  talk  gossip,  or  to  attend  to  business. 


"X 


\ 


THE   GOLDEN   ISLAND   WITH   UNFINISHED   PAGODA    NEAR   CHIN   KIANG. 

Here  we  are  quickly  satisfied  with  a  passing  glimpse  of  a  home-scene  which  is 
too  repulsive  to  dwell  upon,  as  it  was  too  sickening  to  look  upon.  Here  we  pass 
the  fish  and  fowl  market,  where  the  dealers'  goods  become  more  popular  and 
costly  if  they  have  age  added  to  their  other  doubtful  virtues,  and  at  last,  with  a 
sigh  of  grateful  relief,  we  pass  out  of  the  West  Gate  and  joyfully  think  of  our 
native  land. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


91 


When  you  consider  the  inexpressible  filthiness  of  the  native  city  of  Shang- 
hai, the  wonder  is  that  some  terrible  epidemic  has  not  long  since  swept  its 
citizens  out  of  existence.  The  municipal  council  attempted  to  persuade  the 
Chinese  official  in  charge  of  the  old  city  to  allow  them  to  put  the  filtered  water 
from  the  water-works  throughout  the  city,  but  he  replied  that  he  preferred  the 
muddy  water  from  the  moat  around  the  place  because  it  had  more  body  to  it ! 

The  tea-shop,  mentioned  above,  is  an  important  institution  of  China.  It 
serves  as  a  news  depot,  where  the  people  gather  to  hear  the  news  of  the  day;  as 


THE   ART   OF   PRINTING   AS   SEEN   IN   SHANGHAI,    CHINA. 

a  business  house,  where  men  buy  and  sell  and  discuss  the  commercial  interests 
of  the  country ;  and  as  a  place  of  pleasure  and  general  resort.  If  two  men  get 
into  a  quarrel  on  the  street,  one  is  apt  to  drag  the  other  to  a  tea-shop  and  drink 
tea  at  his  expense  while  they  settle  the  matter  between  them.  The  stronger 
does  the  dragging  and  the  weaker  does  the  treating. 

The  shop  is  a  large '.opBn  room  located  in  a  central  and  popular  portion  of  the 
city,  and  small  square  tablies  and  low,  narrow  benches  constitute  the  furniture. 
A  covered  cup  containing  a  pinch  of  tea  leaves  is  placed  before  each  tea-drinker, 


92 


AROUND    THE    WORLD 


and  it  is  filled  and  refilled  with  hot  water  as  desired.  A  man  may  drink  this 
sugarless  liquid  all  afternoon  with  his  companion,  and  on  settling  the  bill  he 
will  find  that  he  is  only  about  two  cents  poorer. 

I  asked  my  Shanghai  friend  as  we  stood  in  one  of  these  shops  and  listened  to- 
the  discordant  screams  of  the  patrons  of  the  institution  what  was  the  cause  of 
this  confusion.  "Each  man  wants  more  hot  water,"  was  his  reply,  as  he  pitied 
my  ignorance  of  the  ways  of  polite  society  in  these  parts. 


The  Opium  Trade. 

You  are  not  long  upon  the  streets  of  a  Chinese  city  before  you  detect  in  the 
bleared  eye  and  sallow  features  of  the  people,  both  male  and  female,  the  opium- 
eating  habit.     The  disgraceful  trade,  forced  upoa 
r       ^  China  by  the  English  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet, 

,  is    increasing    every  year,    and    now    forms   the 

heaviest  item  of  import.  How  a  nation  can  long^ 
exist  and  consume  such  quantities  of  this  active 
poison  is  a  mystery.      The  opium  is  shipped  from 

India  in  the  form 
of  balls,  is  dis- 
solved in  water 
and  boiled  to  a 
paste  prepara- 
tory to  immedi- 
ate consumption. 
Yesterday  after- 
noon a  steamer 
arrived  at  the 
Shanghai  port, 
and  among  other 
things  it  con- 
tained, as  reported  in  this  morning's  paper,  were  two  missionaries  and  three 
hundred  and  nineteen  chests  of  opium.      Poor  John  Chinaman  ! 


RIVER   SCENE    AT   KAYIN,    CHINA. 


Curious  Customs. 


In  China,  as  in  Japan,  the  customs  of  the  people  are  in  striking  contrasts  to 
ours.  A  Chinese  acquaintance,  meeting  you  on  the  street,  shakes  his  own  hands 
instead  of  yours  as  a  mark  of  greeting.  The  men  \^:ffj  their  hair  as  long  as  it 
will  grow,  and  they  dress  in  skirts,  while  the  women  bind  their  hair  tight  around 
their  heads,  and  dress  in  pants. 


A    TEAPICKER. 


igs) 


94 


AROUND    THE    WORI.D 


The  written  language  is  never  spoken,  the  spoken  language  is  never  written, 
and  in  reading  a  book  the  Chinaman  begins  at  the  end  and  reads  backward, 
making  his  notes  at  the  top  of  the  page  instead  of  at  the  bottom,  as  with  us. 

Surnames  precede  the  given  names,  white  and  not  black  is  used  in  mourn- 
ing, a  horse  is  mounted  from  the  off-side  and  a  vessel  is  launched  sideways 
instead  of  endways. 

If  you  follow  the  Chinese  fashion  at  dinner  you  must  commence  not  with  the 
soup,  but  with  the  dessert,  and  in  hunting  a  dressmaker  you  must  look  for  a 
man,  not  a  woman.  The  index  of  the  Chinese  mariner's  compass  is  placed  on 
the  opposite  end  of  the  needle,  and  does  not  point  to  the  north  pole,  but  to  the 


FARMING   OPERATIONS   IN   SOUTHERN   CHINA — PLOWING  WITH   AN  OX. 

south.      The  babies  look  sober,  the  grown  people  grin  and  giggle.      Our  brides- 
maids look  beautiful  in  white,  their  bridesmaids  look  ugly  in  black. 

Indeed,  the  matters  of  surprise  were  that  these  contrary  creatures  did  not  go 
to  bed  in  the  morning  and  get  up  at  night,  and  come  down  the  street  backward 
instead  of  forward!  The  beasts  and  the  birds  seem  to  have  caught  the  spirit  of 
national  contrariness.  Last  Thursday,  while  taking  a  twelve-mile  trip  along  the 
grand  canal  on  a  donkey,  in  my  frantic  efforts  to  make  his  donkeyship  cover 
more  than  two  miles  an  hour,  I  made  a  fatal  mistake.  I  clucked,  and  there  was 
a  dead  halt.  But,  stranger  still,  in  a  flock  of  crows  I  noticed  even  here  the 
Chinese  tendency — some  of  these  birds  had  white  rings  about  their  necks!     In 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


95 


accomplishing  the  unexpected,    as  well  as  performing  tricks  that  are  vain,  the 
heathen  '  'Chinee' '  is  peculiar. 

Among  many  persons  in  the  West  there  exist  most  erroneous  impressions  of 
the  political  life,  the  imperial  government  and  the  national  militia  of  the  Middle 
Kingdom.  L,et  us  glance  at  these.  The  empire  known  to  us  as  China  is  called 
by  the  Chinese  Chung-Kuo  (Middle  Kingdom, )  or  Chung-hua  Kuo  (Middle  Flow- 
ery Kingdom).  The  name  China  is  thought  to  be  derived  from  Ch'in,  which  was 
the  name  of  a  State   i:i    Northwestern   China   before  the  Christian  era.     It  is 


EARL,    1,1    VISITING    GIiNERAL,    GRANT'S   TOMB. 

recorded  that  Prince  Cheng,  ruler  of  Ch'in  in  the  year  221  B.  C,  declared  him- 
self the  "first  universal  emperor,"  and  extended  his  dominion  over  the  whole  of 
the  country. 

The  vastness  of  the  empire  may  be  imagined  from  the  following  facts:  Its 
present  area,  exclusive  of  Corea,  is  about  4, 179,550  English  square  miles,  and  its 
population,  according  to  the  official  census  taken  in  1842,  before  the  outbreak  of 
the  Tai-Ping  rebellion,  was  413,700,000.     It  will  be  thus  seen  that  the  Chinese 


96 


AROUND    THE   WORLD 


empire  is  larger  than  the  whole  of  Europe  and  over  thirty  times  the  size  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland. 

As  China's  neighbor  on  the  north  is  Russian  territory, on  the  southwest  British 
possession,  on  the  south  the  country  that  France  is  coveting,  and  on  the  east 
is  bounded  by  the  Pacific  Ocean,  with  two  thousand  five  hundred  miles  of  coast, 
it  can  easily  be  seen  why  so  many  nations  were  greatly  interested  in  the  Japan- 
China  war,  and  why  the  "civilized"  powers  are  watching  her  every  movement. 

Three  great  rivers  drain  the  vast  empire,  adding  immeasurably  to  the  fertility 
of  the  soil  and  affording  convenient  highways  for  travel  and  trade.      The  Yellow 


THE  PEKIN    GATE  IN   THE   GREAT    UAtL  OF    CHINA. 

River  is  in  the  north,  the  West  River  is  in  the  southwest,  and  the  Yangtzse  (the 
great  river),  which  is  in  the  centre,  is  the  most  important  of  all,  and  is  one  of 
the  greatest  rivers  in  the  world.  It  is  navigable  for  large  ocean  steamers  as  far 
up  as  six  hundred  miles  from  the  sea,  and  while  spending  several  days  on  its 
bosom  we  were  impressed  by  its  vastness  and  its  importance  to  the  commercial 
life  of  China. 

China  proper,  not  including  Manchuria  and  the  Eastern  Turkestan  province, 
is  divided  into  19  provinces,  and  these  again  are  geographically  divided  into  8'/ 


WITH    EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


97 


circuits,  189  prefectures,  34  departments,  71  districts,  114  sub-prefectures  of  the 
Ting  class,  188  sub-prefectures  of  the  Chou  class,  and  1334  counties. 

Pekin  is  the  name  of  the  Chinese  imperial  capital  city,  and  here  is  the  main 
residence  of  the  Emperor  and  the  seat  of  the  central  government. 

The  present  Emperor,  Kuang-su,  came  to  the  throne  in  1875,  at  the  age  of 
four  years,  and  was  brought  up  under  the  care  of  the  Empress- Dowager  Regent. 
The  Emperor  is  the  head  of  the  church  (so  to  speak),  as  well  as  the  state,  and 
the  government  of  the  empire  is  based  on  the  government  of  the  family,  accord- 


EXTERiOR  OF  The  royaIv  palace,  pekin,  china. 

ing  to  the  laws  and  regulations  laid  down  in  the  collected  laws  and  institutes  of 
the  present  dynasty. 

The  Emperor  worships  Shang-ti,  the  Supreme  Ruler  and  king  of  kings, 
offers  sacrifices  to  father  Heaven  and  mother  Earth,  to  the  immortal  sage  Con- 
fucius, as  the  saviour  of  the  empire,  and  to  Kuan-ti,  the  deified  warrior,  w^ho  is 
supposed  to  have  delivered  China  in  war  and  calamities  during  the  time  of  the 
"Three  Kingdoms.  "  The  present  dynasty  claims  to  be  ruling  in  China  by  divine 
right,  and  the  Emperor  is  supposed  to  be  descended  from  Shang-ti,  the  supreme 
ruler,  whom  he  regularly  worships. 


98 


AROUND  THE  WORLD 


Principal  Offices. 

The  principal  offices  under  the  Emperor  at  Peking  are  the  privy  council,  the 
cabinet,  the  board  of  civil  office,  the  board  of  revenue,  the  board  of  ceremonies, 
the  board  of  admiralty,  the  board  of  war,  the  board  of  punishment,  the  board  of 
works,  supreme  college  of  literature,  court  of  censors,  colonial  office  and  foreign 
office.  Perhaps  it  may  not  generally  be  known  that  the  Emperor  is  not  Chinese, 
but  Manchou,  and  one-half  of  all  the  high  statesmen  are  Manchou  and  the  other 
half  Chinese. 

The  provincial  viceroys  and  governors  are  expected  to  watch  over  the  inter- 
ests of  the  empire  in  their  respective  provinces  and  communicate  direct  with  the 
throne,  should  this  be  necessary.     Frequently,  of  late,  the  Emperor  has  sought 


A   KAYIN    PI^OUGHMAN. 

the  advice  of  these  provincial  magnates,  and  in  the  case  of  the  distinguished  Li 
Hung  Chang,  who  was  viceroy  of  Chih-li,  the  Emperor  needing  his  confidential 
advice,  he  was  called  to  Peking,  where  he  now  resides  as  a  member  of  the  inner 
circle  of  his  Majesty's  advisers. 

The  Censorate. 

Independent  of  the  cabinet  and  above  all  the  boards  rises  the  censorate, 
which  consists  of  two  presidents,  four  vice-presidents  and  about  fifty  members, 
all  of  whom  have  taken  their  literary  degrees  and  are  associated  with  the  Supreme 
College  of  Literature.     The   censors,  are  given  special  privileges  by  which  they 


WITH    EYES    WIDE    OPEN. 


99 


may  address  memorials  directly  to  the  Emperor,  and  may  even  remonstrate  with 
him  if  the}'  think  that  he  is  pursuing  a  course  that  is  dangerous  to  the  welfare 
of  the  countr}-. 

As  a  nation  the  Chinese  are  not  heavily  taxed.  The  full  amount  of  the 
revenue  levied,  according  to  the  report  that  is  before  me,  in  both  grain  and  silver, 
is  about  three  hundred  millions  of  taels  when  all  is  converted  into  silver  currency, 
and  of  this  sum,  it  is  said,  one-third  is  never  properly  accounted  for,  another 


RECKPTION    OK  A    KORRIGN    AMBAS.SADOR    BV   THK    KMPEROR   OK    CHIXA. 

third  is  deducted  to  pay  the  expenses  of  collectio:i,  a-id  not  jiiore  than  half  of  the 
balance  reaches  Pekin. 

nilitary  Organizations. 

The  world  just  now  is  laughing  at  the  military  standing  of  China,  and  the 
once  much-dreaded  Tartars  appear  to  have  retrograded  in  martial  qualities.  But 
the  undisciplined  coolies  who  faced  the  Japanese  in  the  late  war  give  us  a  very 
inadequate  idea  of  the  military  force  of  the  empire. 


lOO 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


The  Chinese  array  is  divided  into  three  great  forces,  each  of  which  has  its 
own  peculiar  organization.  The  first  of  these  is  known  as  the  Pa-Chi,  or  Eight 
Banners,  consisting  entirely  of  hereditary  warriors  ranged  under  one  or  other  of 
the  eight  banners  of  the  nationalities— the  Manchous,  the  Mongol  and  the 
Chinese.  The  total  force  is  about  3200  officers  and  350,000  privates,  the  majority 
of  whom  have  been  taught  the  use  of  the  modern  breech-loading  rifles  and  field 


I.  Foreign  Instructor  J.  C.  Clowe.  2.  Captain  Interpreter  Chu  Lao. 

A   NINE-INCH    GUN,    CHINESE   ARTILLERY,    "READY   FOR   ACTION." 

artillery.     The  reserves  of  this  banner  army  are  the  total  population  of  Mongolia 
and  Manchuria. 

riilitia  and  Volunteers. 

The  next  division,  or  indeed  separate  army,  is  the  regular  Chinese  army, 
called  Ying  Ping,  Green  Regiments,  on  account  of  their  colors.  This  force  con- 
sists entirely  of  Chinese  and  is  a  sort  of  local  militia,  distributed  throughout  the 
empire,  numbering  over  7000  officers  and  300,000  privates.  Three  centuries 
ago  this  was   the  finest  military  force  in  the  world,  but  at  present   its  lack  of 


WITH   EYES  WIDE  OPEN. 


lOI 


organization   and  discipline  and  the  presence  of  corruption  throughout  the  whole 
system  threatens  its  disintegration. 

The  third  Chinese  army  is  the  volunteers  or  braves.  About  half  of  this 
force  is  fairly  well  disciplined  and  drilled  in  the  use  of  modern  artillery,  and  is 
used  to  guard  the  approaches  to  the  imperial  capital.  During  the  Tai-Ping 
rebellion  over  four  millions  of  Chinese  were  under  arms,  and  were  the  reorganiza- 
tion of  the  arm}'  attended  to  in  a  scientific  manner  China  could  easily  place  six 
or  seven  millions  of  men  in  the  field. 

The  organization    of  the  Chinese  navy  having  been  entrusted  to  officers  of 
different  nationalities,  each   of  whom  had  some  peculiar  reform  of  his  own   to 
introduce,  the  result,  it  seems,  is  a  lamentable 
mixture  of  things  which  is  most  unsatisfactory. 

I  was  very  much  interested  in  a  visit  to 
the  arsenal  at  Shanghai,  where  the  largest 
guns  are  manufactured.  Foo-Chow  is  the 
only  other  place  in  the  empire  where  an 
arsenal  of  the  kind  is  located.  The  most  ser- 
viceable guns  are  nine-inch, 
using   projectiles   of    three   hundred   and   fifty 


NATIVE   FARM   IN   THE    VICINITY   OF  CANTON,    CHINA. 

pounds  and  charged  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of  powder.     These  have 
an  effective  range  of  about  two  miles. 

On  my  trip  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  up  the  Yangtzse  River  I  was 
fortunate  in  having  as  one  of  my  companions  the  foreign  instructor  to  the  Tse 
Tien  Miao  battery,  one  of  the  largest  batteries  on  the  river,  and  through  this 
gentleman's  kindness  I  received  some  valuable  information. 


Fortifications. 

The  fortifications  along  the  Yangtzse  valley  are  now  the  strongest  in  China, 
and  forces  are  here  under  German  instruction,  with  the  expectation  of  taking  the 


T02  AROUND    THE    WORLD 

field  in  the  coming  spring  against  the  Mohammedan  rebels  of  the  northwest. 
There  are  thirty  foreign  instructors  in  the  five  forts  along  the  river,  most  of  these 
American  and  British. 

These  instructors  were  engaged  without  the  sanction  of  their  countries,  and 
those  from  England  received  employment  in  violation  of  the  British  foreign 
enlistment  act,  in  force  during  the  late  war,  thus  making  themselves  liable  to 
large  fines  and  six  months'  imprisonment. 

The  armament  of  these  forts  consists  of  English  and  German  guns.  Here 
we  find  twelve-inch  muzzle-loading  guns,  carrying  projectiles  of  eighteen  hun- 
dred pounds,  charged  with  two  hundred  pounds  of  powder,  with  a  range  of  five 
miles;  also,  twelve-inch  breech-loading  guns  of  fifty-tWo  tons,  nine-inch  guns  of 
forty  tons,  six-inch  quick-firing  guns  and  Hotchkiss  machine  guns. 

Corrupt  Administrations. 

Before  these  forts  came  under  foreign  instruction  the  greatest  confusion  and 
corruption  existed,  and  the  robbery  inflicted  upon  the  government  gives  proof  of 
the  lack  of  the  least  semblance  of  patriotism.  I  was  given  this  instance  of  the 
kind  of  dishonesty  that  is  going  on  all  over  the  empire  to-day :  The  commander 
of  a  camp  of  500  men  will  receive  3000  taels — about  4500  Mexican  dollars — per 
month,  for  expenses.  Instead  of  paying  his  men,  say  71  or  72  tael-cents  to  the 
Mexican  dollar,  he  pays  them  at  a  different  rate  and  keeps  the  balance.  Again, 
the  offictr  has  enrolled  500  men,  while  actually  there  are  present  only  300.  The 
inspecting  officers  give  a  week's  notice  before  their  arrival.  Coolies  are  called 
in  from  the  neighboring  villages,  put  in  uniform  for  the  day  of  the  inspection 
only,  and  they  line  the  wall,  wave  flags  and  shout  with  the  troops.  As  the 
requisite  number  is  present,  the  commander  receives  pay  for  the  five  hundred; 
the  two  hundred  coolies  are  dismissed  on  the  departure  of  the  inspectors  with  a 
slight  compensation  and  the  officer  or  officers  pocket  the  pay  for  two  hundred 
soldiers.  This,  I  am  told  on  good  authority,  is  going  on  now  all  over  China 
where  natives  have  the  organization  and  command  of  the  military.  Where  for- 
eign instruction  prevails  this  kind  of  thing  is  impossible,  for  there  is  regular  drill, 
semi-foreign  uniform  and  systematic  inspection. 

On  our  steamer  going  up  to  Nanking  was  the  daughter  of  the  viceroy,  Liang 
Kiang,  with  her  retinue  of  ten  servants.  This  viceroy  is  said  to  be  the  most 
progressive  man  in  the  empire,  and  in  him  largeh'  centres  the  hope  of  China. 
He  has  for  his  foreign  adviser  an  Englishman  by  the  name  of  R.  B.  Moorhead, 
commissioner  of  the  imperial  maritime  customs,  who  has  been  mainly  instru- 
mental in  organizing  the  Yangtzse  River  defense  that  we  have  described.  Grad- 
ually this  vast  empire  is  allowing  the  wall  of  her  exclusiveness  to  crumble.  May 
it  soon  exist  only  in  memory  and  not  in  fact. 


CHAPTER  V. 

STRANGEST  OF  STRANGE  CITIES. 

HE  third  day  out  from  Shanghai,  we  steamed  up  the  mag- 
nificent Typhon  Bay,  and  dropped  anchor  below  Hong 
Kong,  which  rose  before  us  on  the  lofty  range  of  hills 
that  surround  the  famous  harbor.  We  had  reached  the 
most  easterly  possession  of  Great  Britain,  and,  from  the 
scarlet  uniforms  that  are  constantly  in  evidence  on  the 
streets  of  the  city,  from  the  strong  fortifications  that  are 
in  view,  and  from  the  names  given  to  many  of  the  promi- 
nent points  of  interest,  you  are  not  allowed  to  forget  who  are  the  masters  of  the 
island,  forty  miles  in  circumference,  upon  which  Hong  Kong  is  located 

By  means  of  the  incline,  cog-wheel  railway,  you  reach  the  summit  of  Victoria 
Peak,  and,  standing  upon  this  noble  eminence,  you  can  take  a  bird's-eye  view  of 
the  country  for  many  miles  around.  About  3'ou  are  many  beautiful  bungalows, 
with  pretty  surroundings;  down  the  slopes  of  the  hills  are  hundreds  of  hand.some 
residences  of  the  foreigners;  toward  the  base  of  the  eminences  can  be  seen  the 
Chinese  quarters,  in  striking  contrast  to  the  rest  of  the  settlement,  and  below  and 
stretching  far  away  is  the  sea.  dotted  with  crafts  of  every  description.  The  popu- 
lation of  Hong  Kong  is  of  a  most  conglomerate  character.  While  the  English  are 
most  strongly  represented,  Americans,  French,  Germans,  East  Indians,  Italians, 
Portuguese,  Spaniards,  and  even  the  Parsee,  are  to  be  seen  on  the  streets;  and, 
from  the  conduct  of  most  of  these  in  .social  and  commercial  life,  it  is  not  a  matter 
of  surpri.se  that  the  natives  are  accu.stomed  to  use  the  epithet  of  doubtful  compli- 
ment, "foreign  devils,"  in  speaking  of  them. 

Although  it  is  Christmas  week,  in  this  semi-tropical  climate  we  notice  the 
exuberance  of  the  flora.  Many  varieties  of  the  cactus  family,  the  camphor  tree, 
the  aloes,  the  cypresses,  the  Cape  jasmines,  hydrangeas,  geraniums,  palms  and 
magnolias  are  seen  quite  frequently  in  our  walks  and  drives  about  the  city,  and 
the  Chinese  gardeners  show  great  skill  in  the  cultivation  and  exhibition  of  their 
flowers  and  plants. 

China's  Commercial  City. 

Canton,  the  commercial  capital  of  China,  located  ninety  miles  up  the 
Pearl  River,  was  the  special  object  of  our  vi.sit  to  Southern  China,  and  our 
trip  on  the  steamer,  which  gave  us  an  excellent  opportunity  to  study  the  river, 

( lo.^) 


I04 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


the  rural  districts,  the  dilapidated  villages  and  the  fortifications,  was  not  in  the  least 
wearisome.  As  3^ou  approach  Canton,  there  is  presented  a  sight  that  is  not  dupli- 
cated in  the  world.  You  sail  through  a  floating  city  of  200,000  souls  !  The 
thousands  of  boats  that  cover  the  face  of  the  river  fronting  Canton  are  built  as 
houses,  and  in  these  boats  persons  are  born,  are  married  and  die,  never  knowing 
any  other  homes.  The  first  one  of  these  in  which  we  rode,  contained  the  father, 
who  guided  the  little  craft;  the  mother  and  half-grown  daughter,  who  did  the 
rowing,  and  three  babies,  who  looked  as  sober  as  judges,  cuddled  up  in  the  ' '  hole. " 


ox   THE   RIVER,    CANTON. 

This  rude,  floating  affair  is  literally  their  world.  Here  they  cook,  eat,  wash,  ply 
their  only  business,  in  which  all  the  members  of  the  family  are  engaged  who  can 
lend  a  helping  hand;  and  they  seem  to  know  nothing  of,  or  care  nothing  about,  the 
population  of  a  million  and  a  half  on  the  shore.  I  am  writing  these  words  on  the 
porch  of  the  home  of  Dr.  Graves,  and  just  below  me,  within  two  hundred  3'ards  of 
my  chair,  can  be  seen  this  moving  cit}^  on  the  river,  that  reminds  me  somewhat 
of  the  busy  scenes  on  the  great  canal  at  Venice,  except  the  boats  are  not  so 
artistic,  but  far  more  numerous. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


105 


It  has  been  well  said  that  Canton  is  the  strangest  of  all  strange  cities;  and  it 
is  certainly  the  most  representative  one  in  China.  The  city  extends  for  four  miles 
along  the  Pearl  River,  and,  although  it  has  a  population  of  about  the  size  of  New 
York,  there  is  hardly  a  street  over  eight  feet  in  width.  As  the  narrowness  of  the 
streets  will  not  allow  the  use  of  the  jinrikishas,  and  as  a  horse  is  a  curiosity,  you 
must  wind  your  way  through  the  throngs  of  people  on  foot,  or  be  jostled  along  in 
a  sedan  chair  or  rocking  palanquin.  Gamblers  are  found  at  every  turn,  seated 
about  square  tables,  jabbering  in  an  excited  manner;  the  small  manufacturer 
plies  his  trade  in  the  open  thoroughfare;  cooking  goes  on  in  the  gutters  or  in  the 
open  doors,  filling  the  air  with 
greasy  odors;  the  barber  is  en- 
gaged in  his  active  business 
by  your  side,  as  you  pass 
along;  the  vender  of  eels 
and  dog-meat  proudly  screams 
the  doubtful  statement  that  he 
has  something  peculiarly  deli- 


A   CHINESE   GENTLEMAN'S   HOME. 


cious;  the  burden-bearers,  of  both  sexes  and  all  ages,  grunt  and  groan  as  they 
limp  past  3'ou;  the  gaudily  decorated  bridal  chair,  preceded  by  a  long  line  of  men 
and  boys  with  ga}^  banners  and  followed  by  a  uniformed  retinue,  bearing  baskets 
and  boxes  of  presents,  attract  your  attention;  and  thus  for  hours  3-ou  are  interested, 
instructed  and  bewildered  by  the  ever-changing  sights  of  the  unique  city. 


io6 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


A  Chinese  Dwelling. 

A  family  street  of  the  better  classes  does  not  present  a  bad  appearance.  The 
walls  lining  both  sides  of  the  way  are  formed  of  bluish-gray  bricks,  neatly  pointed 
in  mortar,  with  granite  foundations  reaching  several  feet  above  the  ground.  There 
are  no  windows,  and  you  enter  through  a  plain,  massive,  double-leaved  door, 
fastened  by  wooden  bolts.  Having  entered  this  outer  door,  you  find  yourself 
inider  a  small  introductory  roof,  which  shelters  the  porter's  room.  Before  j^ou 
are  sets  of  wooden  doors  reaching  from  wall  to  wall,  and  beyond  these  is  a  small 

court,  open  to  the  sky,  where  or- 


namental  flowers  and  plants  are 
placed.  The  house  proper  is  now 
before  you,  and  separate  apart- 
ments, under  different  roofs,  are 
entered;  for  a  Chinese  residence, 
except  among  the  humbler  classes, 
is  a  collection  of  small  buildings. 
Ceilings  are  very  seldom  seen,  and 
the  walls  are  neither  plastered  nor 
papered.  The  houses  of  the  poor 
are  the  most  wretched  hovels, 
many  of  them  being  only  mat- 
sheds,  the  frame  work  of  which  is 
made  of  bamboo  and  the  walls  and 
roofs  of  oblongrs  formed  of  bamboo 


leaves  fastened  together. 


Sacred  Hogs. 

Although  for  two    months  we 


*  ■■-     •-(■? 


TEMPr,E   AT    .M:s"G1'0. 


I      had    been   visiting    Japanese   and 

Chinese    temples    until    we    were 

sickened  by  the  degradation   and 

superstition  of  which  the  religious  instinct  of  humanity  was  capable,  we  could  not 

see  Canton  without  entering  some  of  the  hundreds  of  these  buildings  dedicated  to 

Confucianism,   Buddhism  or  Taouism. 

The  one  held  most  sacred  by*  the  natives,  perhaps,  is  the  Temple  of 
Honan.  As  you  enter  the  grounds,  you  are  confronted  by  two  hideous  idols  of 
colossal  size,  figures  half  animal  and  half  human  in  design,  with  countenances 
that  would  give  the  nightmare  to  a  professional  cut-throat  !  Passing  bj'  the  rows 
of  shrines,  the  groups  of  dwarfed  trees  forced  to  grow  in  the  shape  of  various 
animals,  the  cremating  ovens  where  the  bodies  of  the  shaven-headed  priests  find 


M 

a; 
(J 

% 

o 

< 

o 


> 

w 


Q 
3! 


(107) 


io8 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


repose,  the  pond  where  the  sacred  lotus  is  in  bloom,  we  were  more  interested  in 
an  enclosure  where  a  number  of  sacred  hogs  were  wallowing  in  filth  in  a  most 
unsacred  manner.  If  the  Parsee  worships  fire,  the  Japanese  bends  before  foxes 
and  snakes,  the  Hindu  makes  gods  of  cows  and  monkeys,  some  may  ask  why 
should  not  the  gentleman  of  the  pig-tail  have  his  sacred  pig. 


Horrors  I 

In  the  Temple  of  Horrors,  we  looked  upon  vivid  representations  of  the  ten 
hells  of  Buddhism.      Men  floating  in  boiling  oil;  women  suspended  by  iron  hooks 


The  "floating  city"  on  peari.  river,  canton,  china. 

run  through  their  backs,  and  all  kinds  of  torments  are  set  forth  in  ways  that  are 
apt  to  make  the  blood  of  the  wicked  native  curdle. 

As  my  pen  just  now  is  running  along  the  line  of  the  horrible,  I  must  not 
close  this  chapter  without  telling  of  a  heart-rending  scene  I  witnessed  yesterday. 
Passing  out  of  the  East  Gate  of  the  city,  after  walking  several  miles  over  a  lonely 
country  path,  on  either  side  of  which  were  thousands  of  Chinese  graves,  many  of 
them  fresh  during  the  last  year's  black  plague,  we  reached  the  village  of  lepers.  As 
we  approached  this  place  of  agony,  we  were  surrounded  by  scores  of  these  death- 
stricken  creatures;  and  as  we  passed  down  the  main  street,  the  whole  community 
seemed  to  be  at  our  heels  craving  alms.     The  loathsome  disease  had  as  its  victim 


WITH   EYES  WIDE   OPEN. 


109 


the  infant  at  its  mother's  breast  and  the  decrepit  old  man — all  ages,  in  all  stages 

of  the  affliction,  were  before  me.     Some  with  face,  hands  and  feet  enlarged,  red, 

smooth  and  gloss}-;  some  undergoing  spontaneous  amputation  of  the  fingers  and 

toes;  some  with  limbs  partially  decayed — but  I  must  draw  the  curtain  upon  this 

horror  of  horrors  ! 

Slavery  in  China. 

During  my  month's  stay  in  Canton  I  had  occasion,  through  the  kindness 
of  our  missionaries  and  consul,  to  study  the  customs  and  habits  of  the  Cantonese; 
and  nothing  that  I  witnessed  was 
more  heart-rending  than  the  cruel 
treatment  and  pitiable  condition 
of  the  blind  girls. 

In  China  the  subject  knows 
no  such  a  thing  as  liberty,  and 
the  individual,    who    is   but   the 
fraction  of  the   unit   of  society, 
which   is  the   family,   knows   no 
rights   as     an    in- 
dividual.   This  be- 
ing   true,    slavery 
is     the    necessary 
consequence.    Hu- 
man    beings     are 
bought    and    sold 
as    chattels,     and 
quite  frequently  a 
childless  man  buys 
a   boy   from    poor 
parents  to  save  his 
family  from  going 
out  of  existence  isi^and  of  the  i.itti.e;  orphan  in  the  Yangtze. 

A  form  of  domestic  slavery,  in  which  families  of  means  buy  slave-girls,  is 
very  common  here  in  Canton,  and  purchasing  them  in  earl 3^  girlhood  for  from  ten 
to  one  hundred  dollars,  according  to  their  beauty  and  health,  they  w'ork  for  their 
owners  without  wages  until  they  are  of  a  marriageable  age,  when  they  are  sold  in 
marriage  or  disposed  of  for  other  purposes,  according  to  the  price  offered. 

Sad  Lot  of  Blind  Girls. 

But  there  is  a  kind  of  slavery  more  appalling  still,  of  which  I  desire  specially 
to  write,  namely,  the  slavery  of  blind  girls.     Passing  down  the  streets  of  Canton, 


no  AROUND   THE   WORLB 

at  night,  my  attention  was  called  to  numbers  of  blind  girls  from  fourteen  to 
eighteen  years  of  age  dressed  in  brilliant  outer  garments,  with  their  faces  rouged 
and  their  hair  ornamented  with  flowers.  A  woman,  carrying  a  musical  instrument, 
led  several  of  these  girls,  and  I  have  since  learned  that  they  were  owned  by  this 
mistress,  who  conducted  them,  by  night,  to  the  lowest  parts  of  the  city,  and  by 
their  playing,  singing  and  in  most  disreputable  way  she  secures  an  income 
throuo-h  them  that  enables  her  to  live  in  ease  and  comfort.  I  have  met  no  class 
of  persons,  not  excepting  the  sore-covered  beggar  or  the  decaying  leper,  that 
seemed  so  pitiable  as  these  blind  singing  girls. 

It  is  regarded  an  affliction  for  a  girl  to  be  born  in  a  Chinese  family,  and  when 
the  girl  is  blind  her  life  is  one  of  ceaseless  neglect  and  cruelty,  and  often,  if  the 
family  is  poor,  she  is  sold  for  a  small  amount  to  one  of  these  dealers  in  human 
bodies,  who  plies  her  nefarious  business  until  death  snatches  her  victim  from  her. 

Case  of  Redemption. 

This  morning  I  visited  five  of  these  little  blind  girls  who  had  been  redeemed 
by  a  Christian  woman  before  they  were  old  enough  to  be  led  into  lives  of  shame. 
This  is  the  sad  story  of  one  of  these  little  creatures:  Her  father  belonged  to  a 
literary  family  and  was  himself  an  intelligent  Chinese  gentleman.  The  opium 
habit  and  gambling  became  the  curse  of  his  life,  and  in  order  to  gratify  these 
passions  he  sold  all  of  his  property  and  his  six  children,  including  this  blind  baby 
girl.  This  child  was  rebought  from  a  low  mistress,  w4io  was  training  her  to  be  a 
singing  girl. 

One  of  these  children  has  a  double  thumb  on  her  right  hand,  and  it  was 
through  this  deformity  that  she  was  rescued  from  a  wretched  life.  Her  mistress 
brought  her  to  one  of  the  hospitals  and  requested  that  one  of  the  thumbs  be  cut 
off.  When  the  surgeon  declined  to  make  the  operation  she  started  off,  saying: 
"Well,  I  will  cut  it  away  myself,  for  she  can't  learn  the  guitar  with  a  double 
thumb!"  The  doctor  reported  the  case  to  my  friend,  and  a  few  dollars  redeemed 
the  child,  double  thumb  and  all!     She  seemed  as  lively  as  a  cricket. 

No  one  can  tell  what  these  innocent  children  suffer  when  they  fall  into  the 
clutches  of  these  old  harridans,  and  that  the  government  has  any  responsibility  in 
the  matter  does  not  seem  to  occur  to  the  Governor  of  Canton. 

riassacres  and  Riots. 

During  the  last  score  of  years  there  have  been  frequent  riots  in  Canton,  in 
which  foreigners  have  been  the  sufferers,  and  as  missionaries  are  the  only  foreigners 
who  go  far  inland  away  from  the  treaty  ports,  they  have  mainly  felt  the  force  of 
these  uprisings. 


WITH    EYES    WIDE    OPEN. 


Ill 


In  1S83  there  were  riots  here  in  Canton,  a  large  part  of  the  foreign  settlement 
was  destroyed,  including  mission  and  business  property,  and  many  narrowly 
escaped  bodily  injury.  Last  summer  there  were  numerous  riots  in  West  China. 
Almost  all  of  the  mission  property  in  the  province  of  Sze  Chuan  was  demolished, 
and  a  large  number  of  Americans  were  among  the  sufferers. 

During  the  terrible  Tien-Tsin  riot  several  French  Catholic  sisters  and  other 
foreigners  lost  their  lives,  and  last  year  a  brutal  attack  was  made  on  two  lady 
physicians  in   the  suburb  of  Canton   while   they  were  trying  to  help   a  plague- 


REDEEMED   BLIND   GIRLS   UNDER    MISS   WHILDEN'S   CARE,  CANTON,    CHINA. 

Stricken  Chinaman   to  the  hospital.     The  lives  of  these  women  were  saved  only 
by  the  timely  appearance  of  foreign  customs  officers  with  fire-arms. 

The  Kucheng  Atrocities. 

Since  my  arrival  in  China,  knowing  that  many  contradictory  stories  had  been 
sent  to  America  about  the  notorious  massacre  at  Kucheng,  in  the  Euh  Kien 
province,  during  last  August,  I  have  tried  personally  to  learn  the  facts  of  this 
affair,  and  I  find  that  the  reports  have  not  exaggerated  its  brutality. 

At  this  place,  one  hundred  miles  inland  from  the  port  of  Foo-Chow,  resided  a 
number  of  English  missionaries  sent  out  by  the  English   Mission  Society  and 


112  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

several  seut  out  by  the  American  Methodists.  For  some  months  a  sect  calling- 
itself  Vegetarians  (because  the}'  eat  no  flesh),  known  to  be  a  dangerous  secret 
political  society  adhering  strictly  to  the  Buddhists,  had  shown  ill-feeling  toward 
native  and  foreign  Christians,  and  numerous  acts  of  robber}-  and  persecutions  had 
been  committed. 

August  the  first  being  the  sixth  birthday  of  Herbert  Stewart,  a  child  of  mis- 
sionaries, he  and  his  sisters  started  out  to  the  neighboring  hills  to  gather  flowers 
with  which  to  decorate  the  home  in  honor  of  his  birthday.  They  were  met  by  a 
procession  of  these  brutes,  and  after  they  had  been  beaten  most  unmercifully  they 
were  allowed  to  return,  only  to  find  everything  in  the  greatest  disorder  and  the 
Vegetarians  in  full  possession.  The  father  and  mother  were  murdered;  Herbert 
died  from  his  wounds  next  day;  one  of  the  sisters  was  torn  frightfully  by  a  spear 
wound;  the  baby's  head  was  gashed  and  his  eyes  torn  out  and  he  lived  only  a  few 
days.  The  nurse  and  six  young  ladies  of  the  mission  were  found  dead,  some  of 
them  fearfully  hacked  and  mutilated,  and  the  houses  of  the  foreigners  were 
burned. 

After  the  riot  was  over  and  the  murderers  had  escaped  soldiers  were  sent  to  keep 
the  peace,  but  they  magnanimously  seized  the  opportunity  of  stealing  everything 
of  value  that  had  been  left  on  the  ground,  and  continued  to  be  nuisances  until 
they  were  removed. 

The    Leader's  Confession. 

Although  it  is  currently  reported  that  over  twenty  of  those  connected  with 
this  massacre  have  been  beheaded,  during  the  fall  there  have  been  repeated  indi- 
cations of  more  disturbances.  After  some  little  trouble  I  have  been  enabled  to 
secure  an  exact  translation  of  the  confession  of  Minchiang  Chek,  the  man  who  led 
the  Vegetarians  on  the  day  of  the  massacre.  It  is  as  follows:  "  I  am  forty-seven 
years  of  age,  and  reside  in  the  eleventh  township  of  the  Minchiang  district.  I 
am  the  eldest  of  three  brothers,  and  am  a  doctor  and  brazier  by  trade.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-six  I  became  a  Vegetarian,  and  on  the  ninth  of  the  twelfth  moon  of  last 
year  I  came  to  Kucheng  and  induced  eight  men  (names  given)  to  join  the  society. 
According  to  one  of  the  fixed  rules  of  the  order,  each  of  them  paid  i6So  cash  as 
an  entrance  fee,  and  after  this  the  leader  of  the  sect  gave  me  the  new  name  of  Buo 
Heng.  The  Vegetarians  are  divided  into  nine  companies,  of  which  I  belong  to 
that  known  as  lying  Kung. 

■  On  the  eighth  of  the  sixth  moon  (the  massacre  was  on  the  eleventh)  about 
thirty  of  us  met  in  a  monastery  on  Kung  Sang  Kuoi,  and  at  that  meeting  three  plans 
were  proposed:  (i)  Togo  to  the  village  of  Dank  Denk  and  rob  the  house  of  a  rich 
man  there.  (2)  To  kill  the  foreigners  at  Hwa  Sang.  (3)  To  murder  the  foreigners 
and  tear  down  their  houses  at  Kucheng  City.     Being  unable  to  decide,  Dowg  Gan 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


113 


Gang,  a  fortune-teller  and  our  leader,  took  three  pieces  of  paper,  on  wliicli  he 
wrote  the  three  plans  proposed,  writing  one  on  each  and  rolling  them  into  little 
balls.  He  then  took  three  incense  sticks  as  chop  sticks,  and  three  times  in 
succession  picked  out  the  ball  on  which  the  words  Hwa  Sang  were  written.  (The 
massacre  took  place  earh-  the  next  morning.) 

' '  Over  a  hundred  of  us  met  that  night  and  armed  ourselves  with  guns  and 
three-pronged  spears.  The  first  foreigner  we  saw  was  a  3'oung  lady  standing  at 
the    back    door     of    one    of    the   houses.     I     rushed    at     her  immediately    and 


CHINESE   GAMBLING   ON    THE    ROOF   OF   A    HOUSE   AT   CANTON,    CHINA. 

stabbed  her  in  the  back  with  my  spear.  She  fell  down  and  died.  Having 
killed  her,  I  went  to  a  Chinese  house  where  there  was  another  foreign 
woman  (Miss  Hartford,  of  the  American  Methodist  Mission)  and  tried  to 
stab  her,  but  unfortunately  her  servant  struck  me  and  took  from  me  my 
spear.     The  other  Vegetarians  were  at  work  in  other  houses  where  there  were 

foreigners." 

Those   men  were  not    rebels,   but    murderous  wretches,  bitterly    hating  all 
foreigners,  and  it  is  the  general  opinion  that  the  viceroy  of  the  province  and  his 
8 


114  '  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

associates  could  have  easily  crushed  them  out  of  existence  months  ago  if  they  had 
so  desired. 

The  letter  of  the  treaties  should  protect  foreigners  from  such  brutal  attacks, 
but  physical  force  influences  much  more  the  conduct  of  an  ordinary  Chinaman 
than  the  moral  obligation  or  legal  significance  of  a  treaty. 

Attempt  to  Take  Canton. 

On  our  arrival  in  Japan  the  papers  were  filled  with  accounts  of  the  attempted 
uprising  at  Canton,  and  it  was  feared  at  one  time  that  we  would  be  prevented  from 
visiting  Southern  China.  Through  the  kindness  of  our  affable  consul  at  Canton, 
Mr.  Charles  Seymour,  I  have  secured  the  facts  of  this  trouble,  which  threatened 
to  be  a  very  serious  affair. 

The  leaders  of  this  rebellion  planned  that  the  attack  on  Canton  should  be 
made  on  the  thirtieth  of  October,  and  looking  to  this,  arms  and  ammunition  were 
smuggled  into  the  city.  Monday  morning,  October  28,  about  four  hundred  men 
boarded  the  steamer  at  Hong  Kong  for  Canton,  and  as  they  acted  suspiciously,  the 
authorities  at  Hong  Kong  telegraphed  to  the  police  office  at  Canton,  and  on  their 
arrival  a  large  number  of  them  were  put  under  arrest. 

It  was  found   afterward    that    barrels  that  had  come  through   the  customs 

marked  "cement"  contained   arms  and  explosives,   and  that  secret  preparation 

had  been  going  on   for  months  before   these    arrests  were   made.       Their  plan, 

as  afterward    announced,    was    to  capture    the    treasury,    the    residences    of  the 

viceroy  and  other  officials,  and  to  set  up  a  government  after  the  style  of  Western 

nations. 

The  badge  of  the  leaders  was  a  red   sash  thrown   over  the   shoulder    and 

knotted  under  the  arm.      They  expected  the  soldiers  and  others  to  join  them  as 

soon  as  their  work  of  capturing  and  pillage  began,  and  it  is  thought  that  many  of 

the  restless  element  of  the  community  would  have  joined  them  if  they  had  made 

any  headway.      A   number  of  those  arrested   have  been   beheaded   and   rewards 

are  offered  for  the  heads  of  others. 

Socialists  Suspected. 

As  early  as  the  fifteenth  of  last  July  an  Englishman  by  the  name  of  Click, 
who  had  been  expelled  from  Honolulu,  Hawaiian  Islands,  because  he  was  involved 
in  a  seditious  movement,  leased  a  house  in  Canton,  and  he,  with  a  German  social- 
ist by  the  name  of  Stauhhmann,  lived  in  this  place  for  months.  Immediately  after 
the  arrests  were  made  and  the  uprising  was  nipped  in  the  bud,  these  men  suddenly 
disappeared,  and  in  the  house  in  which  they  lived  were  found  ammunition,  dyna- 
mite and  other  evidences  of  the  fact  that  they  were  doubtless  interested  in  the 
success  of  the  attempted  rebellion. 


WITH    EYES    WIDE    OPEN. 


"5 


Mr.  Seymour,  the  United  States  consul,  expressed  to  me  the  opinion  that  the 

affair  is  not  entirely  suppressed,  and,  with  the  aid   of  the  many  societies  with 

socialistic  tendencies  throughout  the  province,  there  may  at  any  time  be  a  general 

uprising,  which  would  elicit  the  sympathy  and  aid  of  thousands  who  are  dissatisfied 

with  the  present  state  of  the  government.     There  are  clear-sounding  mutterings 

of  the  smashing  of  old  foundations  and  crashing  of  present  institutions  throughout 

the  East. 

Chinese  Customs. 

During  my  rambles  through  the  cities,  villages  and  farm  lands  of  Southern 
China   I   find  that   I   have   filled  my  note-book  with  brief  accounts  of  Chinese 


MRS.    GRAVE'S    AND   MISS    WHITE'S   GIRLS'    SCHOOI.   AT   CANTON,    CHINA. 

characteristics  that  have  impressed  me  as  being  peculiar  and  which  I  cannot  well 
classify;  so,  before  sailing  for  other  lands,  I  shall  give,  in  a  disjointed  manner, 
these  hurriedly  made  descriptions  of  a  people  who  are,  by  far,  more  interesting 
in  their  native  land  than  anywhere  else. 

As  most  of  the  time  I  have  had  by  my  side  on  these  tours  foreign  gentlemen 
who  have  lived  for  years  in  the  "  Celestial  kingdom  "  and  who  speak  several  of 


ii6  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

the   dialects   fluentty,  my  opportunities  for  gaining  correct  information  during 
these  weeks  have  been  very  gratifying. 

One  of  the  first  things  that  attracts  special  notice  is  the  dress  of  a  people,  and 
John  Chinaman  and  family  command  your  immediate  attention  in  this  respect. 

Dress  and  Headgear. 

The  two  necessities  in  all  Chinese  dress  are  the  loose  pair  of  trousers  (the 
foo)  and  the  almost  equally  loose-fitting  jacket  (the  sham);  with  these  two 
articles  the  Chinese  is  completely  dressed,  and  if  anything  else  is  worn  it  is  for 
comfort  or  luxur3^ 

The  upper  garment  is  worn  long  or  short,  plain  or  decorated,  hea\T  or  light, 
according  to  the  condition  of  the  wearer  or  weather,  and  the  balloon  trousers  are 
carefully  tucked  into  long  stockings,  neatly  bound  with  garters  below  the  knee, 
and  over  these  a  pair  of  leggings  is  placed  if  the  owner  of  these  legs  desires  to  be 
finely  dressed,  or  if  he  is  afraid  of  catching  cold  in  his  nether  parts. 

A  woman's  trousers  are  similarly  shaped,  and  instead  of  knickerbockers, 
when  they  are  dressed  up,  they  wear  something  like  the  divided  skirt,  one 
piece  hanging  in  front  down  to  the  ankles  and  the  other  hanging  behind  the 
same  wa^',  and  these  are  buttoned  up  at  one  side  and  open  at  the  other,  while 
embroider}'  and  pleats  in  vertical  lines  adorn  them.  In  certains  parts  of  the 
empire,  especially  on  and  along  the  rivers  in  the  interior,  nature's  garb  appears 
to  be  all  sufficient,  and  one  feature,  at  least,  of  the  simple  innocence  of  our  parents' 
lives  in  the  Garden  of  Eden,  is  seen  in  its  unadorned  perfection. 

Female  Fancy. 

The  women  of  China  have  much  more  time  at  their  disposal  than  our  women, 
Decause  they  do  not  have  to  select  spring,  summer,  fall  and  winter  bonnets  or 
hats.  Their  hair  is  combed  and  plastered  with  a  gum;  thus  made  up  it  forms  a 
sufficient  head-covering  for  the  climate  of  Southern  China,  and  in  colder  places  a 
handkerchief  or  broad  band,  either  plain  or  embroidered,  is  often  bound  across  the 
forehead. 

The  men  wear  a  skull-cap  of  satin  for  the  most  part,  with  a  cord  button  of 
red  or  black  on  the  top,  in  the  winter  season,  but  go  bareheaded  in  summer. 
Large  bamboo  hats,  about  a  yard  in  diameter,  are  worn  to  protect  from  the  rain 
and  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

The  women,  in  every  grade  of  life,  wear  earrings,  some  of  which  are  as 
brilliant  as  they  are  tremendous,  and  these  ornaments  seem  to  be  more  indispen- 
sable than  a  woman's  foo  or  sham. 

The  stjde  of  dress  and  the  mode  of  doing  up  the  hair,  I  notice,  differ  in 
different  parts  of  China,  but  the  men's  dress  is  very  much  the  same  wherever  I 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


117 


have  been.  There  is  a  severe  modesty  in  the  dress  of  Chinese  women  that  is  in 
striking  contrast  to  the  state  of  semi-nudity  that  was  seen  frequently  in  certain 
parts  of  Japan.  Among  women  the  process  of  binding  the  feet  and  the  kind  of 
shoe  worn  vary  ver}'-  much  in  different  places.  Ordinarily  the  rich  bind  the  feet 
of  their  daughters  at  six  or  eight  years,  the  poor  at  thirteen  or  fourteen,  and 
seldom  are  the  feet 
bound  later  than 
fifteen. 


ac. 


A   Barbarous  Practice. 

One  end  of  a  ban- 
dage,  about  two 
inches  wide  and  ten 
feet  long,  is  laid  on 
the  inside  of  the  in- 
step; thence  it  is  car- 
ried over  the  four 
smaller  toes,  drawing 
them  down  upon  the 
sole;  then  it  passes 
under  the  foot,  over 
the  instep  and  around 
the  heel,  drawing  the 
heel  and  toe  nearer 
together,  making  a 
bulge  on  the  instep 
and  a  deep  notch  in 
the  sole  underneath; 
thence  it  follows  its 
former  course  until 
the  bandage  is  all  ap- 
plied, and  the  last  end 
is  sewn  firmly  on  the 
underlying  cloth. 

Monthly,  or  oftener,  the  feet,  with  the  bandages  upon  them,  are  put  into  hot 
w^ater  and  soaked.  Then  the  bandages  are  removed,  the  dead  skin  is  rubbed  oflf, 
the  foot  is  kneaded  more  fully  into  the  desired  shape,  pulverized  alum  is  laid  on 
and  clean  bandages  quickly  applied. 

The  head  physician  in  the  Fat-Shun  Hospital  told  me  that  frequently  the 
flesh  becomes  putrescent  during  the  process  of  binding  and  portions  slough  off 


BOUND    FOOT   OF   CHINESE   WOMAN. 


iiS  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

from  the  sole.  Not  infrequently  a  toe  drops  off,  and  lately  he  was  called  in  to  see 
a  woman  both  of  whose  feet  had  become  entirely  dead  from  the  lack  of  blood 
circulation  and  had  entirely  dropped  o£f. 

While  the  feet  are  being  formed  they  are  useless;  the  victim  sleeps  on  her 
back,  lying  crosswise  on  the  bed,  with  her  feet  dangling  over  the  side,  and  the 
sensation  is  said  to  be  like  that  of  having  the  joints  punctured  with  needles. 

As  I  write  I  have  before  me  a  model  of  a  bound  foot.  There  is  a  notch  in 
the  middle  of  the  sole,  deep  enough  to  conceal  a  silver  dollar  put  in  edgewise 
across  the  foot.  The  four  small  toes  are  so  twisted  that  their  ends  may  be  seen  on 
the  inside  of  the  foot  below  the  ankle,  and  the  broken  and  distorted  bones  of  the 
middle  of  the  foot  are  pressed  into  a  mass  where  the  instep  should  be.  The  shape 
is  very  much  like  a  fowl's  head,  the  big  toe  representing  the  bill. 

The  limb  becomes  a  frightful  and  fetid  thing,  and  below  the  knee  there  is 
little  beside  skin  and  bones.  The  tiny  ball  of  flesh  is  kept  bandaged  in  alum  pow- 
der, the  bandages  are  shortened  one-half  their  first  length,  and  black  ones  are 
often  put  over  the  white  ones. 

Embroidered  satin  shoes,  with  brightly  painted  heels,  are  worn,  and  a  neat 
pantalette  covers  all  but  the  toe.  As  you  watch  her  toddle  along,  as  if  she  was 
walking  on  the  points  of  needles,  you  cannot  say  with  the  poet: 

"  Her  foot  so  liglit,  her  step  so  true, 
Scarce  from  the  harebell  brushed  the  dew. 

Woman's  Status. 

When  I  protested  against  this  barbarous  practice  to  an  intelligent  Chinaman 
he  admitted  all  I  said,  then  quietly  reminded  me  of  the  tight  lacing  among  the 
European  and  American  women,  and  informed  me  that  certain  fashionable 
foreign  women,  charitably  disposed,  drew  up  a  lengthy  protest  against  this 
"  outrage  "  some  time  since,  and  when  they  met  in  a  hall  to  sign  the  paper  some 
of  them  were  laced  so  tight  that  they  found  difTiculty  in  leaning  over  to  put  their 
signatures  to  the  document!  It  depends  largely  upon  our  point  of  view  whether 
a  thing  is  "  heathen  "  or  not. 

The  Chinese  woman  is  not  shut  up  in  a  harem,  as  in  Turkey;  she  is  not 
degraded  by  polyandr>%  as  in  Thibet;  she  is  not  denied  the  possession  of  a  soul 
and  the  religious  privileges  of  men,  as  in  Burma,  and  she  is  not  so  demoralized 
and  humiliated  as  in  Siam;  yet  she  is  not  allowed  to  eat  with  her  husband,  she  is 
forbidden  to  walk  with  him,  and  she  has  no  legal  right  to  anything  whatever, 
apart  from  her  male  relatives.  A  husband  may  beat  his  wife  to  death  and  go 
unpunished,  but  if  a  wife  strikes  her  husband  a  single  blow  she  receives  a  hundred 
blows  with  a  heavy  bamboo,  and  he  may  be  divorced  from  her. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


119 


An  infant  girl  is  often  engaged  to  be  married  by  her  parents;  and  a  lady  in 
Canton  told  me  that,  on  seeing  a  young  man  carrying  a  baby  girl  on  his  back,  she 
asked  him  whose  child  it  was,  and  he  replied  that  it  was  his  future  wife! 

A  Polite  People. 

The  system  of  etiquette  of  the  Chinese  is  very  elaborate,  and  the  urbanity 
and  suavity  of  manner  with  which  even  the  lower  classes  address  one  another 
cannot  be  surpassed  by  any  nation. 

In  talking  to  a  man  in  a  superior  position  the  eyes  must  not  be  fixed  on  his, 
but  must  rest  on  the  button  on  the  left  lapel  of  his  coat;  when  a  room  is  entered 


THE    BEHEADING   OF   PIRATES   NEAR   HONG   KONG,    CHINA. 

where  persons  are  seated  it  is  not  in  good  form  to  bow  to  each  separately,  but  a 
grave  bow  must  be  given  first  to  the  right  and  then  to  the  left;  the  left  hand  is  the 
place  of  honor. 

Politeness  forbids  you  to  ask  a  person  to  pay  a  debt,  but  it  is  quite  the  thing 
to  ask  him  to  loan  you  the  amount  he  owes  and  then  never  return  it.  It  is  quite 
impolite  to  wear  spectacles  before  a  guest  or  superior.  The  Chinaman  puts  his 
hat  on  to  receive  his  guest,  for  appearing  bareheaded  before  a  visitor  is  considered 
quite  impolite. 


I20  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

Long  finger-nails  are  badges  of  respectability.  Instead  of  shaking  hanas,  a 
Chinaman  clasps  his  two  hands  together,  moving  them  up  and  down  a  few  inches 
in  front  of  himself  several  times. 

To  remain  seated  while  your  superior  or  guest  is  standing  is  not  tolerated  in 
polite  society. 

Sport  and  Superstition. 

Although  John  Chinaman  is  a  hard-working  and  industrious  personage,  you 
need  but  saunter  through  the  crowded  streets  of  one  of  his  cities  to  be  convinced 
that  he  is  also  fond  of  amusements.  The  theatres  are  crowded.  The  various 
birthdays  of  the  gods  are  hailed  with  delight.  The  annual  regattas  throughout 
China  of  the  dragon-boat  feast,  the  full-moon  festivals  and  the  New  Year  holiday, 
all  are  celebrated  by  games  and  great  magnificence  of  ceremonial  worship. 

The  Dragon  Emblem. 

At  every  turn  in  China  you  meet  paintings,  drawings  and  carvings  of  the 
dragon,  which  is  the  imperial  emblem  of  state.  The  dragon,  which  is  reserved 
for  royal  use  in  designs  on  furniture,  porcelain  and  clothing,  is  depicted  with  five 
claws;  that  in  use  by  the  common  people  has  only  four.  It  is  thus  described  in 
an  old  Chinese  writing  :  "Its  head  is  like  a  camel's,  its  horns  like  a  deer's,  its 
eyes  like  a  hare's,  its  ears  like  a  bull's,  its  neck  like  a  snake's,  its  scales  like  a 
carp's,  its  claws  like  an  eagle's,  and  its  paws  like  a  tiger's.  Its  scales  number 
eighty-one,  being  nine  by  nine,  the  extreme  (odd  or)  lucky  number.  Its  voice 
resembles  the  beating  of  a  gong.  On  each  side  of  its  mouth  are  whiskers,  under 
its  chin  is  a  bright  pearl,  and  on  the  top  of  his  head  is  the  poh-shan,  or  wooden 
foot-rule,  without  which  he  cannot  ascend  the  skies." 

This  wonderful  antediluvian  creature  is  embalmed  in  the  literature  and 
memory  of  the  Chinese,  and  to  it  are  referred  nearly  all  the  blessings  and  calami- 
ties that  come  upon  the  people. 

riarkets,  Food  and  Delicacies. 

Many  persons  have  a  ver>-  erroneous  notion  about  the  food  of  the  Chinese, 
While  I  have  seen  dogs' ,  cats'  and  rats'  flesh  hung  up  in  the  market  places  in 
Canton  for  sale,  this  is  not  a  common  sight.  Pork,  fish  and  fowls  are  abundant 
in  the  markets,  and  beef  is  also  seen.  Rice  and  dried  salt  or  fresh  vegitables  are 
eaten  at  nearly  every  meal. 

Noticing  quite  frequently  a  gelatinous  substance  at  the  groceries  and  other 
stores,  I  was  informed,  on  inquiry,  that  it  was  "  bird's  nest,"  and  from  it  a  soup 
is  made  that  is  regarded  a  great  luxury  in  China.  These  edible  nests  are  built  in 
caves  along  the  seashore.  The  birds,  during  the  building  time,  assemble  in 
large  numbers  upon  the  beach,  carrying  in  their  beaks  the  foam  thrown  up  by 


c 

< 
O 

o 

O 

w 

« 

w 

tr. 

W 

?; 

K 
a 


(I2IJ 


122  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

the  surf,  of  which  they  construct  their  glutinous  nests,  after  it  has  undergone 
some  preparation  from  commixture  with  sahne  or  other  secretions  in  the  crop  of 
the  bird.     The  bird  is  called  "  the  foaming  swallow." 

They  say  that  the  finest  of  these  nests,  when  taken  from  these  caves  near  the 
sea,  look  like  pure  isinglass  and  bring  as  much  as  thirty  dollars  a  pound.  It  is 
thought  to  be  very  stimulating,  and  it  forms  the  first  dish  at  all  grand  dinners. 

Capital   Punishment. 

In  one  of  my  walks  through  the  city  I  visited  the  execution  place,  a  small 
plot  of  ground  which  can  boast  of  more  slain  than  many  battlefields.  The  male- 
factors are  generally  borne  by  coolies  in  ordinary  dust-baskets  to  this  place  of 
death.  They  kneel  down  in  rows,  bending  their  heads  forward,  with  their  arms 
tied  behind  them,  and  then,  with  a  single  blow  from  a  skillful  executioner's 
blade  the  head  rolls  to  the  ground. 

A  friend  sent  to  me,  among  other  photographs,  two  horrible  companion 
pictures.  One  taken  of  eight  pirates  just  in  the  act  of  being  beheaded;  the  other 
just  after  the  fatal  blow  had  been  given,  as  the  heads  and  bodies  were  falling  to 
the  ground.  As  the  instantaneous  process  of  photography  was  used,  the  expres- 
sions are  dreadfully  lifelike,  or  rather  deathlike. 

Punishments  inflicted  for  an  infringement  of  the  law  are  mainly  flogging  with 
the  bamboo,  banishment  for  a  limited  time  or  permanently,  and  death  by 
strangling  or  decapitation. 

The  Beggars'  Guild. 

Beggary  in  China  is  reduced  to  a  fine  art,  and  in  all  the  large  cities  there  is 
an  organization  that  is  perfect  in  its  system.  The  beggars  are  united  under  a 
head,  called  the  "king  of  the  beggars,"  who  is  appointed  by  a  guild,  and  each 
day  the  contents  of  the  baskets  of  these  wretches  in  sackcloth  is  pooled.  The 
payment  of  a  fixed  sum  to  the  "king"  by  any  shop  will  secure  immunity  from 
all  visits  of  his  subjects  (the  shopkeeper  is  given  a  certificate  to  this  effect,  which 
he  hangs  at  his  door) ,  otherwise  the  shop  is  visited  daily  by  these  creatures,  who 
are  annoying  and  repulsive  in  the  extreme. 

One  of  the  most  pitiable  things  that  I  have  learned  is  that  there  is  not  an 
asylum  for  the  insane  in  the  Empire  of  China. 


^ 


CHAPTER    VI. 
LANGUAGE    AND    LITERATURE   IN   THE   MIDDLE    KINGDOM. 


URING  the  weeks  spent  in  China,  I  have  taken  special  notice  of 
the  dialects,  literature  and  educational  institutions  of  the  empire 
and,  perhaps,  some  of  the  results  of  this  necessarily  superficial 
study   may  be  of  interest  to  my   readers.       The  philologist,  in 


-  D'^V  his  classification  of  languages,  has  been  accustomed  to  place  the 

^Y  Chinese  language  in  a  position  of  its  own,  with  no  certain  relationship 


to  other  speeches  of  mankind;  but  through  the  labors  of  Edkins, 
Schleo-el  and  others  there  seems  to  appear  some  connection,  between  Chinese  and 
the  Arvan  languages,  while  Terrien  de  Lacouperie  and  his  colaborers  insist  that 
there  is  a  striking  afl&nity  between  the  languages  of  China  and  Babylon. 

Position  is  nearly  everything  in  the  construction  of  Chinese  sentences,  and 
the  relation  of  words  is  used  by  them  to  express  what  we,  to  a  great  extent,  show 
by  case,  mood,  tense,  number  and  person,  and  in  addition  to  this  relative  position 
of  words  the  employment  of  auxiliary  characters,  and  a  general  symmetry  of 
construction  in  the  written  language  aid  very  much  in  the  correct  development  of 

ideas. 

One  who  has  studied  the  language  for  forty  years  at  Canton  assures  me  that 
the  Chinese  is  one  of  the  simplest,  while  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  most  difficult 
languages  in  the  world.  Its  simplicity  consists  of  the  almost  entire  absence  of 
inflexional  forms;  its  difficulty  consists  of  the  combination  of  different  dialects, 
so-called,  under  the  one  name  of  Chinese,  as,  for  instance,  the  book  language  in 
its  tw^o  or  three  different  forms,  the  colloquial  or  spoken  language,  in  its  different 
vernaculars  and  in  its  tones,  the  stumbling-block  and  ruin  of  most  of  those  who 
attempt  to  repeat  i^ 

Styles  of  Writing. 

In  general,  the  language  may  be  divided  as  follows:  The  ancient  style,  in 
which  the  classics  are  written,  which  is  concise  and  vague;  the  literary  style, 
which  is  more  diffuse  and  poetical,  and  in  which  the  essays  of  the  candidates  at 
the  governmental  examinations  are  written;  the  business  style,  which  is  void  of 
ornamentation  and  is  used  for  commercial  purposes,  legal  writings  and  official 
documents,  and  the  colloquial,  the  spoken  language,  which  is  divided  into  dialects 
and  which  is  very  seldom  used  by  a  writer.  From  a  literal  translation  of  a 
Chinese  sentence  that  is  before  me,  I  agree  with  Marshman  when  he  says:  ''A 
Chinese  character  may  in  general   be  considered  as  conveying  an   idea   without 

(123) 


124 


AROUND    THE    WORLD 


reference  to  any  part  of  speech,  and  its  being  used  as  a  substantive,  an  adjective 
or  a  verb  depends  on  circumstances. ' ' 

We  speak  of  the  Chinese  language  being  spoken  in  Canton,  Shanghai,  Foo- 
chow  and  Pekin,  but  it  is  eqvially  true  that  not  one  of  the  inhabitants  from  any 
one  of  these  places  could  understand  those  from  the  others  an}-  more  than  a 
Parisian  could  understand  a  New  Yorker,  or  a  citizen  of  Berlin  could  converse 
with  one  from  Madrid. 

Divisions  of  Speech. 

Although  there  are  the  following  main  divisions  of  speech,  commonly  called 
dialects — the  Cantonese,  the  Hakka,  the  Amo}^,  the  Swatow,  the  Hainanese,  the 


IMMEDIATELY   AFTER   BEHEADING  OE  PIRATES  NEAR   HONG   KONG,    CHINA, 

Shanghai,  the  Ningpo  and  the  Mandarin— yet  we  find  that  the  dialect  of  one 
district  is  not  one  homogeneous  whole,  and  the  variations  are  often  so  marked 
between  the  colloquial  of  persons  living  only  a  few  miles  from  each  other  that  you 
would  think  that  they  are  speaking  different  dialects. 

During  my  trips  I  have  passed  through  little  settlements  that  seemed  almost 
a  law  to  themselves  as  to  their  speech,  5nd  the  variety  of  pronunciation,  the  new 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  125 

idioms  and  words  used  and  the  intonations  puzzled  my  friend,  who  had  been 
speaking  several  dialects  for  years'.  In  certain  parts  of  China  the  language  is  said 
to  change  every  twenty  miles,  and  an  estimate  has  been  made  that  there  are  as 
many  dialects  and  sub-dialects  as  there  are  days  in  the  year.  A  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  one  of  these  main  dialects  may  enable  a  person  to  be  understood  through- 
out several  provinces,  but  only  imperfectly  so. 

The  riandarin  Tongue. 

The  Mandarin  is  the  most  widespread;  it  is  supposed  that  three-fourths  of  the 
people  have  some  knowledge  of  it.  All  high  officials  are  required  to  speak  the 
Mandarin,  and  those  who  are  associated  with  the  official  class  or  aspire  to  office 
must  learn  it. 

Over  two  hundred  years  ago  the  Emperor  Kang  Hi  established  schools  in 
Canton  and  elsewhere  throughout  the  empire,  with  the  view  of  introducing  a 
uniform  language  in  place  of  the  numerous  dialects,  but  his  effi^rts,  which  have 
not  been  repeated,  had  no  effect  in  hushing  this  confusion  of  tongues.  In  the 
acquisition  of  any  of  these  dialects  four  difficulties  confront  the  student  immedi- 
ately, viz.,  the  tones,  the  idiom,  the  classifiers  and  the  multiplicity  of  verbs. 

Puzzling  Intonation. 

The  meaning  of  a  Chinese  word  depends  upon  the  tone.  For  example: 
"  Ngo,"  in  one  tone,  means  "  I  myself;"  in  another  tone,  "a  goose."  "  Chu," 
in  one  tone,  means  "  Eord  ;"  in  another,  "pig."  "Tin,"  in  one  tone,  means 
"  heaven;"  in  another  "  field."  "  Sz,"  means  "  four,"  in  one  tone,  and  "dead" 
in  another.  Ku,"  means  an  "orphan,"  "ancient,"  or  "wages,"  according  to 
the  tone  given  to  it.  Referring  to  the  idiom  some  one  has  said:  "Speak  your 
English  sentence  backward,  and  you  will  have  a  good  Chinese  sentence."  While 
this  would  not  always  prove  to  be  correct,  the  order  of  our  words  is  always 
changed.  For  "How  old  are  you?"  the  Chinese  say:  "You,  this  year,  how 
many  years  old?"  For  "Who  did  this?"  they  ask:  "  This  is,  what  man  has 
done!"  For  "Flow  long  have  you  been  here?"  this  is  asked:  "This  place 
you  came  how  many  years  ?' '  A  classifier  precedes  every  noun  whenever  it  stands 
in  relation  to  numerals. 

Our  words  herd  (in  herd  of  cattle),  sheet  (in  sheet  of  paper),  piece  (in  piece 
of  silk),  correspond  exactly  to  these  classifiers.  They  indicate  to  what  class  of 
thing  the  noun  belongs.  For  instance,  "  cheung"  applies  to  things  spread  out, 
as  a  tablecover,  bed,  mat,  etc.;  "  chi"  applies  to  things  round  and  slender,  as  a 
pencil,  bamboo,  etc.;  "pa"  is  applied  to  things  held  in  the  hand,  as  an  umbrella, 
fan,  knife,  etc.;  "tin"  is  put  before  long  and  slender  things,  as  cane,  snake, 
string,  etc.     There  are  about  eighty  of  these  classifiers. 


126 


AROUND    THE    WORLD 


nultipUcity  of  Verbs. 

The  multiplicity  of  the  Chinese  verbs  is  very  noticeable.  Take  our  word 
"  carry,"  which  is  used  so  generally.  In  Chinese,  to  carry  on  the  head  one  verb 
would  be  used;  to  carry  on  the  shoulder  an  entirely  different  word  would  be  used; 
to  carry  on  the  back  another  verb  would  be  used,  and  to  carry  under  the  arms 
another;  to  carry'on  horseback  still  another,  and  to  carry  a  letter  a  different  word 
would  be  employed.  We  say  close  your  eyes,  close  your  mouth,  close  your  fist, 
close  your  book,  close  your  door,  close  your  window;  but  in  Chinese  a  different 
verb  must   be  used  before  each  of  these  objects.     We   say   to  lay   apart,    to  lay 

before,  to  lay  in,  to  lay  down,  to  lay 
on  top,  to  lay  together,  to  lay  aside. 
In  Chinese  a  new  verb  must  be  intro- 
duced in  each  one  of  these  expressions. 

At   School 

The  Chinese  that  is  spoken  in 
everyday  life  is  as  different  from  the 
book  language  as  a  dead  language  is 
from  a  living  one.  On  visiting  a 
Chinese  school  I  found  that  it  could  be 
heard  long  before  it  was  seen.  Each 
pupil  learns  his  lesson  off  by  heart, 
repeating  it  over  and  over  again  till 
fixed  in  the  memory,  in  a  loud  sing- 
song tone  of  voice,  and  the  confused 
babel  of  sounds  produced  by  a  large 
school  of  boys  which  I  visited  cannot 
soon  be  forgotten.  In  the  school  and 
collegiate  course,  extending  over  years, 
the  whole  of  the  classics  (the  four 
books  and  the  five  classics)  and  com- 
mentaries upon  them  are  mastered, 
but  geography,  mathematics  and  the 
sciences  are  unknown  in  a  Chinese  educational  course.  The  effect  of  this  system 
is  the  development  of  the  memory  and  imitative  faculty  at  the  expense  of  every- 
thing else.  No  school  boards  exist,  and  schools  are  opened  independently  by 
teachers  to  gain  their  living  or  established  by  the  gentry,  and  there  are  higher 
institutions  of  learning  having  the  sanction  and  support  of  the  government. 

In  education,  as  in  everything  else,  no  attention  is  paid  to  women,  and  while 
it  is  an  exception  if  a  man  cannot  sign  his  name,  it  is  the  great  exception  if  a 
woman  can  sign  hers.  - 


A   LITERARY   OFFICER    AND    HIS   WIFE. 


WITH    EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  127 

Civil   Service  Examinations. 

The  system  of  civil  service  examinations  in  China  is  quite  unique  in  its  charac- 
ter, and  nothing  attracts  the  wonder  and  admiration  of  the  foreigner  more  than 
this.  These  examinations  have  been  in  vogue  for  centuries,  and  having  originally- 
started  as  a  means  of  testing  the  ability  of  those  already  in  office,  it  has  gradually 
widened  its  scope,  till  now  it  embraces  every  portion  of  the  empire  and  is  the  test 
of  ability  which  all  have  to  undergo  who  desire  admission  into  the  civil  service  of 
the  country.  With  this  laudable  ambition  in  view,  pupils  of  all  ages  maybe  seen 
pursuing  their  studies,  and  grandfather,  father  and  son  may  be  competing  at  the 
same  time  for  the  coveted  goal. 

Degrees  and  Promotions. 

Every  district  city  has  its  examination  hall,  where  the  initial  trials  are 
conducted  under  the  supervision  of  the  imperial  chancellor,  a  sub-chancellor  being 
in  residence.  Out  of  ever\'  two  thousand  onl}-  twenty  of  the  best  receive  the 
degree  which  the  Chinese  term  "Sin-ts'ai,"  meaning  "budding  genius."  An 
original  poem  and  one  or  two  essays  by  each  candidate  on  the  subjects  assigned  to 
them  are  the  exercises  of  this  examination,  and  during  a  day  and  a  night  each 
contestant  is  shut  up  alone  in  a  "stall"  (there  are  thousands  of  these  around 
the  examination  hall),  after  being  examined  to  see  that  he  has  no  "help" 
about  him,  and  if  he  becomes  a  member  of  the  charmed  literar>'  circle,  his  hat  is 
adorned  with  a  gold  button;  and  he  is  eligible  to  enter  the  triennial  examination 
for  the  second  degree,  styled  the  "  Chu-jin."  or  "  promoted  scholar." 

The  examiners  for  this  second  test  are  the  imperial  commissioner  and  ten 
provincial  officers,  and  he  who  is  successful  in  this  can  enter  upon  a  contest  for  the 
third  degree,  which  is  taken  at  the  capital,  Pekin,  and  which  assures  to  the 
successful  student  an  office  under  the  government.  This  mighty  system,  when 
Western  science  is  introduced,  may  be  used  as  a  means  for  the  dissemination  of 
broader  kno^dedge  throughout  this  great  empire. 

Attempts   at   English. 

I  have  noticed  now  and  then  evidences  of  a  willingness  on  the  part  of  the 
members  of  this  exclusive  kingdom  to  allow  the  introduction  of  foreign  ideas,  and 
I  have  been  amused  at  their  "attempts"  at  English.  Mr.  Wing  Wo  Hing,  my 
laundryman  at  Canton  (the  first  one  I  have  found  in  China),  sent  me  the  follow- 
ing notice: 

' '  We  the  undersign  wish  to  inform  to  the  friends  and  the  public  that  we  have 
opened  a  laundry  out  of  North  Gate,  where  we  will  have  advantage  to  do  all 
works  by  using  spring  water  and  dried  with  pure  air  For  times,  launderers,  who 
have  used  river  water  and  dried  with  city  air  which  makes  clothes  unpurify  and 


128 


AROUND   THE   WORI.D 


dissatisfy  to  the  public  !  ' ' 
Doctor  to  leprosy 


signs: 


A  few  days  ago  I  was  startled  by  the  following  doctors' 
nor  doctor  fee  discharged,"  and,   "  i5)!>.  Healer.     Can 

doctor  to  surgery  line, 
medicine    line — All 
kind  illness  dispensa- 
tion"    (dispensary). 
Nor  far  from  where  I 
am  writing  a  fashion- 
able merchant  has  this 
sign  in  flaming  letters 
before  his  shop :  ' '  Re- 
tail and  Wholetail !  ' ' 
As  we  have  seen 
the  efibrts  of  the  Chi- 
naman to  imitate  the 
language  of  the  Eng- 
lishman,  we    are    in- 
terested in  observing 
how    John    Bull    first 
secured    an    influence 
over  John  Chinaman. 
The    Britisher 
comes  as   near   being 
omnipresent     as    any 
mortal  on   this  terre- 
strial   ball,     and    his 
motherland   comes  as 
near  having    her  flag 
floating   over  a  piece 
of    real    estate    under 
every  star  as  any  na- 
tion on  the  globe. 

The  oratorical 
curl  about  the  sun 
never  setting  on  Eng- 
land's possessions  is 
not  fiction. 

The  little  island, 


HEAD  OF  A  PIRATE  HUNG  UPON  THE  ROADSIDE  AT  CANTON,  CHINA. 


that  looks  like  a  speck  on  the  world's  map,  has  managed,  by  one  way  and  another. 
to  plant  her  colonies  in  every  clime;  and  from   the  homeland  to  far  India  and 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  129 

China,   her  war  and  mercantile  ships  can  touch  British  possessions  at  convenient 
distances,  without  the  hue  being  broken  during  aU  these  thousands  of  miles. 

I  desire  especially  to  speak  of  Hong  Kong,  a  British  island  in  Eastern  waters. 
In  the  year  1839  the  Chinese  authorities  took  strong  procedures  against  the  foreign 
opium  merchants;  British  property  was  destroyed,  a  large  number  of  foreigners 
imprisoned,  and  every  effort  was  made  b}'  the  Chinese  to  put  a  stop  to  this  traffic 
that  has  proven  to  be  such  a  curse  to  the  nation.  Matters  w^ere  brought  to  a 
crisis  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  August,  1839,  when  foreigners  were  expelled  from 
the  island,  w^ar  was  immediately  declared,  and,  as  might  have  been  expected, 
in  less  than  two  years  the  British  flag  was  planted  on  the  island,  the  Bogue  forts 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Canton  River  were  silenced  by  English  guns  and  the  provincial 
authorities  were  forced  to  accede  to  the  demands  of  a  superior  power  by  allowing 
trade  to  be  carried  on  at  Canton  and  Whampoa. 

How  Hong  Kong  Became  British. 

The  settlement  of  Hong  Kong  was  commenced  in  May,  1841.  The  following 
month  Hong  Kong  w^as  declared  a  free  port,  and  before  the  close  of  the  same  year 
the  population  had  increased  to  15,000. 

But  John  Bull  did  not  have  smooth  sailing  for  some  years.  The  Chinese 
Emperor  severely  censured  the  imperial  commissioner  for  the  cession  of  Hong 
Kong,  and  war  broke  out  afresh.  It  was  not  until  after  the  treaty  of  Nanking, 
in  1842,  that  it  was  definitely  settled  that  the  island  should  be  a  British  colony 
and  the  charter  bears  the  date  of  April  5,  1843. 

But  during  the  coming  years  the  trend  of  affairs  proved,  repeatedly,  that  one 
John  yielded  to  the  other  John  simply  because  the  one  John  was  weaker  than  the 
other  John.  Here,  as  in  so  many  other  places  where  she  has  planted  her  foot, 
"the  other  John  "  acted  on  the  principle  that  "  might  makes  right  " — especialh- 
has  this  been  her  motto  when  she  has  been  in  the  heavenly  business  of  introducing 
the  opium  trade — fit  harbinger,  indeed,  to  English  Christian  missions! 

In  October  of  1856  some  Chinese  sailors  serving  on  the  British  lorcha  Arrow 
were  taken  from  the  vessel  by  the  native  authorities,  which  led  to  the  bombard- 
ment and  capture  of  the  city  of  Canton  and  the  cession  of  the  peninsula  of 
Kowloong  and  the  payment  of  an  indemnity  of  eight  millions  of  taels  by  the 
Chinese  government  to  England. 

Although  T  am  told  by  the  English  at  Hong  Kong  that  the  colony  is  now 

firmly  established,  I  have  it  from  the  best  authority  that  it  is  viewed  with  hatred 

and  suspicion  on  the  part  of  the  native  mandarins,  and  the  repeated  riots  and  the 

wholesale  attempt  to  poison  the  entire  European  communit}-  by  means  of  the 

bread  supplied  by  a  Hong  Kong  baker,  which  occurred  some  years  since,  proves 

that  the  situation  is  not  altogether  lovely. 
9 


I30  AROUND    THE   WORLD 

The  Island's  Size  and  Sights. 

The  island,  lying  off  the  coast  of  the  Kwaug-tuug  province,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Canton  River  and  about  ninety  miles  from  the  city  of  Canton,  consists  of  a 
rugged  mountain  ridge,  running  from  east  to  west,  broken  into  several  peaks,  the 
largest  of  which  attain  an  altitude  of  over  one  thousand  eight  hundred  feet.  Its 
greatest  length  is  about  eleven  miles,  with  a  breadth  of  from  two  to  four  miles  and 
a  circumference  of  about  twenty-seven  miles.  The  word  Hong  Kong  means  ' '  fra- 
grant streams,"  and  long  before  the  arrival  of  the  English  it  was  customary  for 
Chinese  vessels  to  get  their  water  supply  from  the  sparkling  springs  that  abound 
throughout  the  island.  As  3^ou  approach  the  city  from  the  harbor  you  are 
reminded  of  Naples.     The  situation  is  truly  a  magnificent  one. 

Most  of  the  houses  near  the  beach  are  large  and  handsome  structures,  built 
of  granite  and  well  calculated  to  withstand  the  force  of  the  typhoons,  which  have 
done  much  damage  in  the  past.  Broad  roads,  lined  with  trees,  wind  up  the 
hillside  from  terrace  to  terrace.  The  private  residences  are  situated  principally 
upon  the  hills,  rising  tier  upon  tier  to  the  height  of  several  hundred  feet  above  the 
sea  level,  and  the  large  gardens,  covered  with  a  wealth  of  tropical  plants  and 
flowers,  give  the  landscape  a  charming  effect  from  the  sea. 

The  Public  Gardens  are  said  not  to  be  excelled  by  those  of  any  other  British 
colony,  and  not  only  are  they  admirably  laid  out  and  managed,  seemingl}^  with 
scientific  skill,  but  they  boast  a  number  of  rare  trees  and  plants.  The  palm  beds, 
the  Australian  ferns,  the  Norfolk  Island  pines,  and  the  ornamental  hedge  formed 
of  the  aloe  attract,  at  once,  the  attention  of  the  visitor. 

Victoria  Peak. 

The  most  enjoyable  excursion  on  the  island  is  a  trip  to  Victoria  Peak. 

This  is  reached  b}-  an  elevated  tramwa}^  which  is  a  work  of  great  engineering 
skill;  and  from  its  height,  which  is  1880  feet  above  the  water,  your  vision  sweeps 
the  full  circumference  of  the  island,  the  hill-locked  harbor,  dotted  with  ever>^ 
variety  of  craft,  from  the  ocean  steamer  and  warship  to  the  slipper  boat  and 
sampan;  and  far  into  the  distance,  on  the  mainland,  can  be  seen  numerous  native 
villages,  built  down  to  the  water's  edge;  and  still  further  awaj',  with  the  aid  of 
your  glass,  you  can  count  a  score  of  islands,  washed  by  the  blue  waters  of  the  bay. 

On  the  Chinese  streets  here,  as  elsewhere,  one  is  bewildered  by  the  countless 
number  of  curios;  for  John  Chinaman  has  studied  the  whim  and  fancies  of  the 
'  outer  barbarian,"  and  goods  are  on  exhibition  to  suit  every  taste. 

Chinese  Goods  Displayed. 

In  a  walk  of  two  blocks  j-ou  see  elegant  embroideries  on  silk  and  satin; 
delicately  carved  ivory  fans,   ornaments,  chessmen,  and  v^ases;  walking-sticks  of 


z 

o 

o 

o 

s 

w 
2; 
w 
'J 

w 

a! 
x 


'.130 


132 


AROUND    THE    WORLD. 


ebony,  horn,  ivory,  and  bamboo,  with  embossed  silver  knobs;  fairylike  bouquet 
holders,  and  any  variety  of  filagree  work;  goblets,  card  cases,  flower  baskets, 
incense  burners,  and  bangles,  ear-rings,  scarf  pins  and  finger  rings  of  intricate 
workmanship;  sandal-wood  boxes,  carved  most  artistically,  and  curiously  cut  horns 
of  the  rhinoceros  and  water-buffalo,  and  inlaid  ornaments  made  from  the  large 

bony  beak  of  the  tou- 
can. 

Some  of  the  work 
of  the  Chinese  in  sil- 
ver is  exquisite.  A 
chased  and  embossed 
salver  is  very  attract- 
ive, as  the  design  is 
often  wonderfully  fine 
and  minute  in  detail. 
Kvery  little  figure  has 
its  own  peculiar  ex- 
pression. The  tiles  on 
the  roofs  of  the  houses 
and  tiny  temples  are 
distinguishable  one 
from  the  other,  and 
even  the  construction 
of  the  lilliputian 
bridges  is  plainly  vis- 
ible. As  skilled  labor 
is  cheap  in  China, 
these  fine  pieces  of 
workmanship  can  be 
obtained  for  amounts 
only  very  little  larger 
than  the  actual  cost  of 
'    the  silver  itself. 

Filagree  Work. 

The  filagree  work 

-.  ^"^  ,         -A    is  made  somewhat  dif- 

■ ^     '~^  ferently   from   that  in 

CREMATORY  AT  CANTON,  USED  FOS.  BURNING  THE  BODIES  OF  O  O  U  t  ll  C  r  U      EurOpC. 

PRIESTS.  The  silver  frame  work 


WITH    EYES   WIDE    OPEN. 


133 


is  first  cut  out,  and  gold  leaf  and  mercury  are  mixed  together  until  they  form 
a  paste.  The  frame  is  then  warmed  and  the  amalgam  rubbed  in,  after  which  it  is 
made  quite  hot  to  drive  off  the  mercury,  and  the  gilding  is  finished.  The  filagree 
is  made  of  silver  wire,  extremely  fine  in  texture,  and  designs  of  every  description 
are  worked  out  by  the  expert  Chinamen  with  this  silver  cord. 

The  Chinese  shops  on  Queen's  road,  here  in  Hong  Kong,  are  more  elabo- 
rately ornamented  than  most  of  their  shops  elsewhere,  and  although  they  are  only 
twenty  feet  deep  by  ten  or  eleven  wide,  they  contain  great  variety  of  goods. 

In  the  native  quarters  the  salesroom  is  a  dimly  lighted,  unattractive  place.  At 
the  back  of  the  shop  a  little  lamp  is  kept  burning  before  some  small  image^ 
surrounded  by  paper  flowers  or  pots  of  grow- 
ing plants,  such  as  the  favorite  narcissus  or 
the  dwarf  orange,  and  on  the  walls  are  fre- 
quently to  be  seen  scrolls  containing  extracts 
from  the  writings  of  Confucius,  Mensius,  and 
others,  extolling  the  dealings  of  the  honest 
tradesman  and  commanding  courtesy  toward 
strangers. 

When  you  enter  the  shopman  approaches 
you  indifferently,  disguising  all  eagerness  to 
drive  a  bargain,  salutes  you  with  the  greeting 
"chin-chin,"  and  only  when  he  sees  that  you 
hesitate  in  your  purchasing  does  he  seem  to 
awaken  to  the  occasion  and  exhibit  his  genius 
as  a  salesman. 

Pidgin  English. 

Pidgin  English,  a  strange  mixture  of  Eng- 
lish,   Chinese    and  Portuguese,   is    spoken    by 
most  of  the  natives  at  Hong  Kong,  and  it  was  not  manj^  days  after  my  arrival 
before  it  was  understood  by  me  sufficiently  to  serve  me  for  all  practical  purposes. 

Its  basis  consists  of  turning  the  consonants  "  r  "  into  "  I "  and  "  v  "  into 
"b,"  adding  a  final  "  C}^  "  or  "  ee  "  to  most  words,  and  above  all,  the  constant 
use  of  the  word  "pidgin,"  which  means  business  in  the  most  extended  sense  01 
the  word.  "  Hab  got  good  pidgin  "  means  that  the  business  situation  is  a  good 
one.  "To-day  belongee  number  one  Heaben  pidgin  day"  is  the  conventional 
phrase  for  a  day  of  Christian  observance. 

"That  no  belongee  boy  pidgin,  belongee  coolie  pidgin"  is  the  form  of  your 
servant's  remonstrance  if  you  ask  him  to  do  what  he  thinks  ought  to  be  done  by 
a  serv^ant  of  lower  rank. 


CHIEF   MAGISTRATE,    SHANGHAI. 


134 


AROUND    THE   WORI.D 


Am,  is,  are,  and   the  parts  of  the  verb  "  to  be  "  are  generally  translated  by 
belongee;"    "  hab  belongee  "— was;    and  "  by  m-bye  belongee  " — shall  be. 
The  word  "side"  is  used  for  a   particular   locality:    "  Hong  Kong  side  hab 


FARMERS   AND   THEIR   WIVES  THRESHING   RICE. 


got  too  rauchee  piecee  Chinaman  ' '  means  ' '  there  are  many  Chinamen  in  Hong 
Kong." 

"No  nan"  is  "impossible;"  means  "quickly;"  "Chow-chow,"  "food," 
and  "  chin-chin  "  is  "  good-day  "  or  "  good-bye." 

"I  catchee  dinner  this  side   to-night"   is  the  expression  for  "  I  dine  here 


to-night." 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  135 

I  overheard  this  order  and  reply:  "  Boy,  go  talkee  amah  pay  me  one  piecee 
handkerchief."      "  Missy,  no  can  catchee  amah;  have  go  out." 

A  gentleman  in  Hong  Kong  was  interrupted  in  his  work  one  day  by  his  boy, 
A  Ivin,  who  came  into  his  office  and  gravely  remarked:  "  Missy  Smith  hab  got 
one  piecee  small  cow  chilo."  This  was  his  graceful  and  delicate  way  of 
announcing  that  Mrs.  Smith  had  presented  her  husband  with  a  daughter  ! 

The  following  verses  in  Pidgin  English  are  more  puzzling  than  poetic: 

Flom  Fou  Cliou  Fou  I  come  makey  walkey, 

One  piecee  ship,  three  piecee  bamboo 
Inside  no  belong,  outside  walkee 

My  plenty  good  sing,  all  plopper  can  do. 

Chorus. 

Hi  zah-zah,  chin  chin  chin. 
Chow-chow  welly  good,  mj-  likee  he. 
Makee  plenty  sing  song,  savez  by  and  bye. 
Chinaman  he  plenty  good,  he  laugh  hizah. 

AUee  same  you  my  face  once  whitey, 

Wid  welly  long  pigtail  down  him  back. 
Sailor  man  he  come  ashore,  makey  plenty  fightee, 

Pully  welly  niuchy  hard  makee  face  black. 

Long  time  plenty  work  sampau  coolie 

Yangtzse  river,  way  down  Shanghai, 
Me  talkee  lot  pidgin,  too  muchee  foolee, 

Alice  same  pletty  lady  no  likey  I. 

Lady  cooky  welly  good,  she  likey  chow-chow, 

She  lib  way  up  topside  house, 
Cooky  little  pussy  cat  and  little  bow-wow. 

Welly  good  pot  stew,  boiley  wid  de  mouse. 

AUee  same  pork  pig,  m}'  likee  chow-chow, 

Too  muchee  big,  no  muchee  small, 
Topside  darksky  down  came  Chong  Mow, 

He  makey  stealy  pig  and  chow-chow  all. 

Englissy  consul  welly  much  he  talkee. 

Puttee  up  him  speccatel,  makee  look  see. 
Chop-chop  policy  man  welly  muchee  walkee, 

Chong  Mow  runnee,  no  catchee  he! 


CHAPTER    VII. 
IN  THE  HALAY  ARCHIPELAGO. 

|HE  map  of  the  eastern  hemisphere  shows  a  number  of  large 
and  small  islands  between  Asia  and  Australia,  forming  a 
continuous  group  distinct  from  these  great  masses  of  land 
and  having  very  little  connection  with  either  of  them. 

These  islands,   situated   upon   the  equator  and  washed 
by  the  water  of  the  tropical  seas,   enjo}^  a  more  uniformly 
warm  climate  than  any  other   part  of  the  globe  and  teem 
with  natural  productions,  many  of  which  are  found  nowhere  else. 

The  giant  flowers  of  RaflQesia,  the  great  green- winged  ornithoptera,  the  prince 
among  butterflies,  the  man-like  orang-outang,  and  the  brilliant  birds  of  paradise 
are  seen  here. 

The  Mala}",  having  no  home  beyond  this  insular  tract,  is  seen  in  his  crude 
and  nude  state,  and  as  he  possesses  many  marks  of  peculiarity,  he  presents  many 
points  of  interest  to  the  student  of  mankind. 

Your  ship  sails  for  weeks  among  these  islands,  and  their  several  inhabitants 
are  often  as  little  known  to  each  other  as  are  the  native  races  of  the  northern  and 
southern  continents  of  America. 

The  Malay  archipelago  extends  for  more  than  four  thousand  miles  in  length, 
from  east  to  west,  and  is  about  thirteen  hundred  miles  in  breadth,  from  north  to 
south.  It  contains  three  islands  larger  than  Great  Britain,  and  in  one  of  them, 
Borneo,  all  of  the  British  isles  might  be  set  down,  and  they  would  be  surrounded 
by  a  sea  of  forests. 

The  Volcanic  Belt. 

One  of  the  greatest  volcanic  belts  upon  the  globe  passes  through  the  archi- 
pelago, and  it  is  said  that  earthquakes  are  of  such  frequent  recurrence  that  in 
many  of  the  islands  the  years  of  these  great  shocks  form  the  chronological  epochs 
of  the  native  inhabitants,  by  the  aid  of  which  the  ages  of  their  children  and  the 
dates  of  important  events  are  determined. 

By  the  eruption  of  Papandayang,  in  Java,  during  the  last  century,  forty  vil- 
lages were  destroyed;  in  the  first  quarter  of  this  century  12,000  persons  perished 
by  the  lava  and  ashes  that  covered  three  hundred  miles  of  sea  and  land,  and 
within  recent  years  the  island  of  Makiau,  after  two  hundred  3'ears  of  perfect  inac- 
tion, suddenly  burst  forth,  destroying  nearly  all  of  the  inhabitants  and  plajdng 
havoc  for  forty  miles  around. 


WITH   EYEvS   WIDE   OPEN, 


137 


Malays  and  Papuans. 

A  noted  ethnologist,  differing  from  Humboldt  and  others,  contends  that  the 
natives  of  the  archipelago  belong  to  two  distinct  races,  the  Malays  and  Papuans, 
and  that  they  diflfer  radically  in  physical,  mental  and  moral  character.  The 
Asiatic  races  include  the  Malays,  all  having  a  continental  origin,  while  the  races 
of  Papuan  type,  including  all  to  the  east  of  the  former  as  far  as  the  Fiji  Islands, 
are  derived  not  from  any  existing  continent,  but  from  islands  which  now  exist,  or 
recently  existed,  in  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

It  was  with  pleasure,  after  spending  Christmas  and  the  opening  of  the  new 
year  in  Southern  China,  that  I  em- 
barked on  the  P.  and  O.  steamship 
' '  Rosetta  ' '  for  these  islands,  and  after 
experiencing  some  rough  sea  weather, 
caused  by  the  currents  from  the  China 
Sea  northward,  from  the  Malacca 
Straits  southward  and  from  the  Pacific 
Ocean  eastward,  meeting  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  Gulf  of  Siam,  I  landed, 
in  fine  spirits,  at  Singapore,  the  south- 
ernmost point  of  Asia,  located  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Malacca  Straits. 

Singapore  is  an  island  about  thirty 
miles  in  length  and  half  as  wide,  con- 
taining not  much  more  than  two  hun- 
dred square  miles. 

As  we  sailed  up  the  picturesque 
harbor  scores  of  Mala}-  boys  and  men, 
nearly  completely  nude,  in  narrow 
' '  dugouts, ' '  rowed  by  our  side,  chat- 
tering and  jumping  up  and  down  like 
monkeys,  and  as  small  coins  were 
tossed  into  the  transparent  water  from 
the  moving  ship  they  would  dive  for  them  and,  without  exception,  the  sinking 
money  was  in  the  hands  of  one  of  these  wonderful  divers  when  they  arose  to  the 
surface  of  the  water. 

At  times  you  could  see  these  diving  figures  struggling  fiercely  among  them- 
selves under  the  clear  water  for  the  coin,  and  when  the  victor  came  up,  holding 
his  closed  fist  in  the  air,  they  all  sprang  in  their  little  boats,  tumbling  on  the 
waves,  kicked  the  water  out  of  them  wnth  one  foot,  exclaiming  "Nay-a-yah!" 
"Nay-a-yah!"  ("One  more!"  "One  more!"). 


MALAY    MAX. 


138 


AROUND  THE   WORLD 


Passing  up  the  streets  of  Singapore  the  products  of  the  island  were  seen  on 
every  hand.  Tapioca,  cocoanut  oil,  gambia,  lead,  tin,  indigo,  coral,  gutta-percha, 
hides,  gums,  camphor  and  many  like  productions  were  being  packed  for  shipment 
on  the  outward  steamer  for  the  west,  and  the  market  stalls  were  brilliant  with  the 
greatest  variety  of  flowers  and  fruit. 

Near  the  Equator. 

It  is  quite  impossible  to  give  a  life  likeness  of  the  bright  scenes  that  greet 
you  in  this  city,  located  less  than  a  degree  from  the  equator. 


NATIVES   OF   SINGAPORE. 

Here  you  find  perpetual  summer;  here  the  almost  naked  natives  give  full 
satisfaction  to  their  pride  and  modesty  by  binding  the  scarlet  handkerchiefs  about 
their  heads  and  confining  one  thickness  of  narrow  cotton  cloth  about  their  bodies, 
with  flaming  sashes.  The  pure  white,  hump-backed  oxen,  driven  singly  to 
harness,  move  sedately  through  the  streets,  drawing  a  tremendous  load,  with  a 
tar- black  Malay,  wearing  ear-rings,  perched  on  top. 


WITH   EYES    WIDE   OPEN.  139 

Now  3'ou  pass  rows  of  houses  built  high  up  iu  the  air  upon  stilts,  to  give 
wide  berth  to  snakes  and  other  reptiles  that  abound  iu  this  region.  Yonder  the 
wayside  is  bordered  by  the  graceful  rattan,  the  lofty  cocoanut  tree,  ripening  its 
fruit  iu  clusters  at  the  top,  the  waving  bamboo  and  the  brilliant  hedges  of  the 
tropics.  Here  you  see  growing  wild  the  wonderful  fan-pahn  that  springs  up  iu  the 
exact  shape  of  an  outspread  feather  fan  and  reaches  the  height  of  forty  feet. 
The  street  peddler  pleads  with  you  to  buy  a  dozen  of  his  luscious  pineapples  for 
ten  or  fifteen  cents,  and  if  }-ou  have  no  money  you  can  run  into  the  jungle  nearby 
and  get  a  dinner  of  fruit,  with  no  one  to  molest  or  make  you  afraid.  * 

I  know  of  no  place  on  the  globe  where  a  person's  food  and  clothes  need  cost 

him  so  little  as  just  here,  and  the  people  do  not  seem  to  be  any  less  happy  because 

of  this  fact. 

Products  and  People. 

In  the  celebrated  botanical  gardens  near  the  city  are  gathered  together  all 
possible  representatives  of  the  trees,  plants,  fruits  and  flowers  of  the  archipelago, 
and  these  are  surrounded  by  the  most  beautiful  landscape  gardening. 

Within  the  limits  of  these  gardens  there  thrive  the  bread  fruit  tree,  palms, 
dates,  figs,  mangoes,  mangosteens;  the  acacia  flamboyante,  whose  top  boughs  are 
covered  with  scarlet  flowers,  with  yellow  centres;  the  stephanotis  and  alamanda 
in  full  bloom;  the  Egyptian  lotus;  the  Victoria  Regia,  growing  upon  a  lake,  with 
leaves  wide  and  strong  enough  to  support  a  child  upon  the  surface  of  the  water, 
and  acres  of  tropical  growths  in  the  greatest  variety  and  abundance. 

The  Sultan  of  Johore. 

A  mile  beyond  the  gardens  we  visited  one  of  the  palaces  of  the  Sultan  of 
Johore.  The  late  Sultan  died  at  Bailey's  Hotel,  London,  a  short  time  ago, 
and  the  present  ruler  of  the  small  kingdom  separated  from  Singapore  by  a 
narrow  strip  of  water,  is  proving  himself  to  be  more  progressive  than  the 
former  Sultan, 

This  young  man,  twenty-two  j^ears  of  age,  was  educated  in  England,  and  in 
his  European  attire  he  looks  more  like  an  English  swell  than  a  "heathen" 
chief. 

It  would  be  hard  to  find  anywhere  in  the  world  as  many  kinds  of  people 
gathered  together  in  so  small  a  space  as  you  find  in  the  community  of  Singapore. 
The  government,  the  garrison  and  the  chief  merchants  are  English;  most  of  the 
money-exchangers  and  mechanics  are  Chinamen;  the  boatmen,  fishermen  and 
police  are  native  Malays;  the  clerks  and  small  merchants  are  largely  Portuguese 
of  Malacca;  the  petty  dealers  and  shopkeepers  are  the  Klings  of  West  India  and 
Arabs,  who  are  Mahometans;  the  grooms  and  washermen  are  all  Bengalees;  the 
money  sharks   are  Parsees;  the  sailors  and   servants  are  mostly  Javanese,   and 


140 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


hundreds  of  traders  in  tin,  lead,  skins,  shells   and   corals  congregate  here  from 
Celebes,  Bali,  Borneo,  vSumatra  and  other  islands  of  the  archipelago. 

Town  and  Suburbs. 

The  harbor  presents  a  busy  scene.     Men-of-war  and  many  trading  vessels  of 
European  nations,  hundreds  of  Malay  praus  and  Chinese  junks  and  any  number 

of  sampans  and  slip- 
per-boats move  over 
the  quiet  waters  of  the 
harbor. 

The  town  com- 
prises handsome  pub- 
lic  buildings  and 
churches,  Mahometan 
mosques,  Hindu  tem- 
ples, Chinese  joss- 
houses,  massive  Eu- 
ropean warehouses, 
queer  old  Kling  and 
Chinese  bazaars  and 
long  suburbs  of  Chi- 
nese and  Malay  cot- 
tages. 

In  the  jungles, 
uncomfortably  near  the 
town,  are  to  be  found 
wild  beasts,  and  dur- 
ing the  night  not  sel- 
dom can  you  hear  the 
roar  of  these  unwel- 
come neighbors.  Sev- 
eral miles  from  the 
hotel  where  I  was  a 
guest  you  are  shown 
tiger-pits,  carefully 
covered  over  with 
sticks  and  leaves,  and 
so  well  concealed  that 
there  is  danger  of  a  person  being  entrapped  unless  he  is  watchful.  The)^  are 
shaped  like  an  iron  furnace,  wider  at* the  bottom  than  the  top,  fifteen  or  twenty 


MALAY  C1III.DRKN. 


traveler's   palm,  SINGAPORE. 


(141) 


142 


AROUND   THE   WORI^D 


feet  deep  and  a  sharp  stake  was  stuck  erect  in  the  bottom  until  in  recent  years, 
when  this  was  forbidden  on  account  of  an  unfortunate  traveler  being  killed  by 
falling  on  one. 

A  sail  of  twenty-eight  hours  from  Singapore  brought  us  to  Penang,  the  most 

northerly    seaport    of 
the  Malacca  Straits. 

This  island,  four- 
teen miles  long  by 
seven  wide,  is  situ- 
ated at  the  point 
where  the  straits  open 
into  the  Indian  Ocean, 
one  hundred  miles 
from  the  Island  of 
Sumatra,  and  the 
(own  of  Penang 
nestles  near  the 
water,  with  a  back- 
ground of  thickly 
wooded  hills  that  cul- 
minate in  three  moun- 
tain peaks. 

As  our  steamer 
anchored  a  half  a  mile 
from  shore,  we  were 
taken  in  a  highly  col- 
ored native  boat  to 
the  landing-place,  and 
soon  we  were  on  a 
crowded  street  of  this 
interesting  little  city. 
The  lithe  and 
graceful  figures  of  the 
men  and  women  at- 
tract attention  imme- 
diately, and  frequently 
as  these  nearly  nude  natives  pose  along  the  roadside  they  look  like  exquisite 
works  in  bronze.  The  women,  strange  to  sa}^  are  very  fond  of  ornaments,  and 
with  their  ear-rings,  nose-ring,  arm  and  ankle  bracelets  present  a  most  picturesque 
appearance,  which  is  heightened  by  their  brilliant  single  garment. 


GROUP    IN   MAI^AY   ARCHIPELAGO. 


COCOA. 


(143) 


144 


AROUND    THE   WORLD 


The  Cocoanut  Tree. 

Here  is  found  the  arcea  palm,  better  known  as  the  Penang  tree,  the  source  of 
the  betel-nut;  but  the  place  is  noted  especially  as  the  headquarters  of  the  cocoanut 
tree.  This  growth  is  simply  wonderful.  We  drove  through  a  cocoanut  tree  grove 
of  2000  acres,  and  the  view  of  these  lofty  trees,  keeping  an  upright  position,  with 

the  heavy  loads  in 
their  tufted  tops,  is 
one  of  the  most  re- 
markable sights  in  the 
tropics.  The  tree  gives 
annually  several  crops, 
without  artificial  cul- 
tivation; three  hun- 
dred and  sixty  uses, 
it  is  said,  can  be  made 
of  its  trunk,  branches, 
leaves,  fruit  and  juice, 
and  there  are  over 
twenty  distinct  spe- 
cies of  the  fruit  flour- 
ishing in  and  around 
the  town.  With  the 
rapidit}'  of  a  monkey, 
I  saw  a  native  climb 
over  fort}'  feet  to  the 
top  of  a  tree,  and,  after 
twisting  off  a  cocoa- 
nut,  was  on  the  ground 
again  in  a  few  seconds. 
After  visiting  the  bo- 
tanical gardens,  the 
fruit  market,  where  a 
basket  of  delicious 
mangosteens  was 
bought,  and  after  see- 
ing a  brilliant  Malay 


AN  ORANG-OUTANG  FROM  PENANG. 


marriage 
blow. 


and  funeral  procession,  I  set  sail  for  Ceylon,  where  the  spicy  breezes 


To  the  naturalist  the  islands  of  the  Malay  Archipelago  present  fields  for  his 
researches  which  cannot  be  surpassed,   if  equaled,  in  the  world.     Beasts,  birds. 


(145) 


TO 


146 


AROUND    THE    WORI.D 


and  insects  of  every  description  are  found  in  this  insular  group  and  many  of  these 
are  peculiar  to  this  region  of  the  globe. 

The  Orang=Outang. 

The  interest  with  which  I  watch  the  gyrations  of  a  monkey  is  only  exceeded 
by  the  amusement  afforded  me  by  the  performances  of  the  orang-outang.     Although 

ni}'-  taste  may  be  fear- 
fully at  fault,  I  am  bold 
to  say  that  nothing 
here  in  the  Malay  Ar- 
chipelago has  given 
me  more  real  pleasure, 
has  inspired  more 
hearty  laughs  and  has 
furnished  more  food 
for  reflection  than  my 
lengthy  interviews 
with  his  majesty,  the 
orang-outang  of  Bor- 
neo. 

I  am  not  quite 
sure  whether  he  un- 
derstood what  I  said, 
to  him,  and  it  is 
equally  probable  that 
I  did  not  understand 
very  much  that  he 
.said  to  me,  but  I  was 
impressed  with  the 
fact  that  he  was  one 
of  the  most  intelligent 
inhabitants  of  the  is- 
lands, with  a  keen 
sense  of  humor  and  a 
good  fund  of  com- 
mon sense,  and  when 
we    shook    hands    in 


AN  ORANG-OUTANG  FROM   PENANG— THE  TEMPERANCE  QUESTION. 


our  touching  farewell  I,  at  least,  felt  like  saying  we  meet  to  part,  but  may  it  be 
that  we  part  to  meet  again!  Here  are  the  native  haunts  of  this  great  man- 
like ape,  and  here  you  can  see  and   study  him   untouched  by  the  artificial  and 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN, 


147 


detrimental  influences  of  Mr.  Barnum,  Mr.  Forepaugh  and  the  other  masters  of 
the  circus  ring. 

The  wide  extent  of  lofty  virgin  forest  is  necessary  to  the  untrammeled  glory 
of  his  orang-outangship,  and  here  he  is  as  much  at  home  as  the  Indian  on  the 
prairie  or  the  Arab  on  the  desert.  The  quiet  leisure,  if  not  the  majestic  dignity, 
with  which  he  makes  his  way  through  the  forests  affords  a  stinging  rebuke  to  the 
fussy,  fuming,   dashing   citizen  of  this  electric-car  age  in  which  we  live. 

He  walks  deliberately  along  some  of  the  larger  branches  of  the  trees  in  the 
semi-erect  attitude  which  the  great  length  of  his  arms  and  the  shortness  of  his 
legs  cause  him  naturally  to  assume;  and  as  he  walks  on  his  knuckles,  and  not  on 


PAPUAN    CHILDREN. 

the  palm  of  the  hand,  the  disproportion  between  these  limbs  is  increased,  and 
while  in  locomotion  it  is  not  highly  probable  that  a  Grecian  artist  would  select  him 
as  a  model  of  grace. 

He  does  not  jump  or  spring  or  even  appear  to  hurry  himself,  and  yet  he 
manages  to  make  as  quick  speed  as  one  who  is  running  through  the  forests 
beneath. 

The  male  orang-outang,  unlike  his  inconsiderate  human  brother  in  America, 
helps  his  wife  make  up  the  bed.  When  wounded  or  when  bedtime  comes  a  nest, 
or  bed,  is  quickly  made  from  the  sticks  and  leaves  of  the  trees,  and  one  who  has 


148  AROUND    THE    WORLD 

hunted  this  animal  a  great  deal  tells  me  that  a  fresh  one  is  made  everj^  night. 
I^ike  the  other  natives  of  these  islands,  he  takes  life  easy,  not  leaving  his  bed 
until  the  sun  has  well  risen  and  has  dried  the  dew  on  the  leaves,  feeding  during 
the  middle  of  the  day,  and  never  seeming  to  worry  himself  upon  the  grave  ques- 
tions of  state,  commerce  and  religion  that  create  headaches  and  heartaches  for  the 
more  civilized,  but  less  contented,  nations  of  the  globe. 

They  are  not  onl}^  easily  satisfied,  as  is  well  known,  in  the  matter  of  clothing, 
but  their  diet  is  a  very  simple  one,  consisting  almost  exclusively  of  fruit,  with 
some  tender  buds  and  shoots  for  occasional  dessert. 

Despite  the  jokes  that  we  are  prone  to  make  at  his  expense,  the  orang-outang 
is  an  elevated  character.  He  rarely  descends  to  the  ground  except  when  the 
market  in  the  trees  has  failed  him,  or  when  the  hollows  of  the  leaves  do  not 
contain  sufl&cient  water  for  his  refreshment. 

Although  the  orang-outang  is  peacefull}'  inclined  and  desires  ever^-bod}-  to 
attend  to  his  own  business,  as  he  does,  3-et  he  is  no  coward,  and  when  aroused  by 
what  he  regards  to  be  an  act  of  injustice  or  persecution  he  is  a  terror.  When 
driven  by  hunger  to  hunt  shoots  and  roots  along  the  water's  edge  the  crocodile  has 
been  known  to  protest  against  this  innocent  mode  of  making  his  living,  but  he  has 
in  every  case  recorded  in  history  established  his  rights  without  much  ceremony. 

The  chief  of  the  Balow  D3^aks  gives  this  testimony:  "The  orang-outang  has 
no  enemies;  no  animals  dare  attack  it  but  the  crocodile  and  the  python.  He 
always  kills  the  crocodile  by  main  strength,  standing  upon  it,  pulling  open  its 
jaws  and  ripping  up  its  throat.  If  a  pj^thon  attacks  the  orang-outang  he  seizes 
it  with  his  hands  and  then  bites  it,  and  soon  kills  it.  There  is  no  animal  in  the 
jungle  so  strong  as  he." 

It  is  remarkable  that  an  animal  so  peculiar  and  possessing  such  a  high  type 
of  form  as  the  orang-outang  should  be  confined  to  two  islands,  Borneo  and  Java, 
especially  as  these  are  almost  the  least  inhabited  by  the  higher  mammalia. 

As  doubtless  the  orang-outang,  the  chimpanzee  and  the  gorilla  have  had  their 
forerunners,  the  naturalist  must  look  forward  with  interest  to  the  time  when  the 
deposits  of  the  tropics  shall  make  known  the  history  and  earliest  appearance  of  the 
great  man-like  apes,  who,  if.  they  are  not  the  "  missing  links,"  are  ridiculously 
like  some  of  us  who  make  sport  of  them  ! 

A  Brilliant  Bird. 

In  striking  contrast  to  the  curious  and  comical  creature  just  described,  allow 
me  to  present  a  brilliant  and  beautiful  bird,  another  inhabitant  of  these  islands, 
namely,  the  bird  of  paradise. 

The  paradiseidse,  as  they  are  classed,  are  a  grotip  of  birds  allied  somewhat  in 
their  structure  and  habits  to  starlings  and  the  Australian  honeysuckers,  but  they 


WITH  EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


149 


are  characterized  by  extraordinary  developments  of  plumage,  which  are  unequaled 
in  any  other  family  of  birds. 

In  some  of  the  species  large  tufts  of  delicate  bright-colored  feathers  spring 
from  each  side  of  the  body  beneath  the  wings,  forming  fans  or  shields,  and 
the  middle  feathers  of  the  tail  are  often  elongated  into  wires,  twisted  into  the 
most  fantastic  shapes  or  adorned  with  the  most  brilliant  metallic  colors.  We  find 
that  in  other  species  these  plumes  spring  from  the  head,  the  back  or  the  shoulders, 
and  the  tails  are  of  varied  shapes. 

I  had  no  idea,  until  I  visited  the  Malay  archipelago,  that  there  are  as  many 
species  of  the  bird  of  paradise  as  are 
to  be  seen  on  the  Islands  of  Borneo 
and  Java.  The  great  bird  of  paradise^ 
the  lesser  bird  of  paradise,  the  red 
bird  of  paradise,  the  king  bird  of  para- 
dise, the  double- mantle  bird  of  para- 
dise, the  superb  bird  of  paradise,  the 
six-shafted  bird  of  paradi.se,  the  stand- 
ard wing  bird  of  paradise,  and  the 
scale-breasted  paradise  bird,  are  all 
marked  by  different  colored  and  .shaped 
plumage,  and  although  they  are  classed 
under  the  .same  general  name,  they 
are  quite  distinct  in  many  respects. 

It  has  aflforded  me  much  pleasure 
to  gather,  from  one  source  and  another, 
a  great  deal  of  information  about  this 
the  most  beautiful  bird  in  the  world, 
but  I  shall  try  to  describe  only  two  or 
three  classes  of  the  bird,  which  may 
give  your  readers  a  faint  conception  of 
their  beauty  and  brilliancy. 

The  largest  species  known  is  the 
great  bird  of  paradise,  which  is  seventeen  or  eighteen  inches  from  the  beak  to  the 
tip  of  the  tail.  The  entire  top  of  the  head  and  neck  is  a  delicate  straw-yellow, 
the  feathers  resembling  plush  or  velvet;  the  lower  part  of  the  throat  up  to  the 
eyes  is  clothed  with  scaly  feathers  of  an  emerald  green  color,  with  a  rich  metallic 
gloss,  and  velvety  plumes  of  a  still  deeper  green  extend  in  a  band  across  the  fore- 
head and  chin  as  far  as  the  eyes,  which  are  bright  yellow,  and  the  body,  wings 
and  tail  are  of  a  rich  coffee-brown,  which  deepens  on  the  breast  to  a  blackish-violet 
or  purple-brown. 


K.\NDYAN   CHIEF   OR   HEADMAN. 


I50 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


The  two  middle  feathers  of  the  tail  have  no  webs  at  all  except  at  the  base  and 
extreme  tip,  and  from  each  side  of  the  body  beneath  the  wings  springs  a  dense 
tuft  of  long  and  delicate  plumes,  sometimes  two  feet  in  length,  of  the  intensest 
golden  orange  color  and  very  glossy,  changing  toward  the  tips  into  a  pale  brown. 
The  thick  tuft  can  be  elevated  and  spread  out  at  pleasure  so  as  almost  to  hide  the 
bod)^  of  the  bird. 

This  brilliant  plumage,  strange  to  narrate,  is  entirely  confined  to  the  gen- 
tlemen, while  the  lady  is  really  a  very  plain  and  ordinary-looking  bird  of  a 
uniform  coffee  color,  possessing  neither  the  long  tail  wires  nor  a  single  green  or 
yellow  feather  about  the  head.     As  might  be  expected,  the  male  birds  do  most  of 

the    talking,    and    their    shrill    note, 

wawk-wawk-wawk-wok-wok-wok, ' ' 
can  be  heard  for  miles,  but  what  do- 
mestic experience  occasions  this  alarm- 
ing cry  of  the  husband  the  naturalist 
has  not  yet  informed  us. 

The  mode  of  nidification  is  un- 
known, but  the  natives  inform  us  that 
the  nests  are  made  of  leaves,  placed 
on  ants'  nests  or  some  projecting  limb 
of  a  tall  tree,  and  each  nest  contains 
only  one  bird. 

The  birds  are  shot  with  blunt 
arrows,  so  as  not  to  injure  the  plu- 
mage by  a  drop  of  blood,  and  they  are 
stuffed  by  the  natives  with  the  greatest 
care. 

The  side  plumes  of  the  red  bird 
of  paradise,  instead  of  being  yellow, 
are  rich  crimson,  and  the  ends  are 
curved  downward  and  inward  and  are  tipped  with  white.  The  rich  metallic  green 
of  the  throat  extends  ov^er  the  front  half  of  the  head  beyond  the  eyes  and  a 
double  crest  of  scaly  feathers  is  formed  on  the  forehead. 

Perhaps  the  rarest  and  most  brilliant  of  the  whole  group  is  the  superb  bird 
of  paradise. 

The  ground  color  of  the  plumage  is  intense  black,  with  beautiful  bronze 
reflections  on  the  neck,  and  the  whole  head  covered  with  feathers  of  brilliant 
metallic  green  and  blue.  It  supports  a  shield  over  its  breast  of  a  bluish-green 
color,  with  a  satiny  gloss,  and  back  of  the  neck  it  bears  another  shield,  much 
larger,  of  a  velvety  black  color,  glossed  with  bronze  and  purple.     At  first  sight. 


A   KANDYAN    GIRL. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


151 


the  plumage  of  the  six-shafted  paradise  bird  seems  to  be  black,  but  in  certain 
lights  it  glows  with  bronze  and  deep  purple;  its  throat  and  breast  are  of  a  golden 
hue,  changing  to  green  and  blue  tints;  the  back  of  the  head  contains  a  curved 
band  of  feathers,  resembling  the  sheen  of  emerald  and  topaz  more  than  organic 
substance,  and  from  the  sides  of  the  head  spring  the  six  feathers  from  which  the 
bird  receives  its  name. 

But  as  my  vocabularj*  of  color  names  is  about  spent,  I  must  cease  the  futile 
attempt  to  give  a  word-painting  of  this  bird,  clothed  by  nature  with  all  the  hues 
of  the  rainbow. 


PHARIv   FISHERIES   0?   CHYI.ON. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  SPICY  BREEZES  OF  CEYLON. 

OME  years  ago  I  was  in  the  Louvre  Gallery  in  Paris,  and  I  was  nearly 
as  much  interested  in  watching  the  performances  of  some  of  the 
visitors  as  I  was  in  the  great  masterpieces.  To  have  the  pleasure  of 
saying  afterward  that  the}'  had  seen  these  miles  of  pictures,  seemed  to 
be  the  object  of  manj^  who  were  hurrying  through  the  galleries,  and 
"to  do"  the  whole  thing  in  a  few  hours  appeared  to  be  a  greater 
masterpiece  to  some  than  any  work  that  hung  on  the  walls. 
The  tourist  who  desires  merely  to  trot  around  the  globe  can  touch  at  the 
Japan  and  China  treaty  ports,  sail  through  the  Malay  archipelago,  take  one  snifE 
of  the  spicy  breezes  at  Cej'lon,  dash  through  the  wonders  of  India,  from  Bombay 
hurry  on  to  Egypt,  scratch  his  initials  on  the  pyramids,  take  a  leap,  skip  and  a 
jump  through  Europe,  and  look  upon  the  Statue  of  Liberty  again  in  a  few  months. 
His  friends,  laboring  under  the  delusion  that  this  quick-step  globe-trotter  has  seen 
the  world,  heartily  congratulate  him,  and  he  is  blissfully  ignorant  of  what  he  has 
missed. 

Roughing  It. 

As  in  other  countries,  it  is  quite  impossible  to  get  the  faintest  idea  of  the 
topography,  the  flora,  and  the  fauna  of  Ceylon,  and  the  customs  and  habits  of  the 
people,  unless  you,  at  any  inconvenience,  visit  the  villages  and  jungles  of  the 
interior. 

The  engagements  of  my  pleasant  companion  from  Baltimore  necessitated  him 
to  leave  me  in  Southern  China,  and  about  six  weeks  were  spent  largely  by  me  in 
' '  roughing  it ' '  among  the  natives,  miles  from  the  sea  coasts.  As  a  few  days  were 
quite  sufficient  to  see  the  sights  of  Colombo,  I  soon  took  train  across  the  island 
of  Ceylon,  and  after  fours'  ride  the  old  historic  city  of  Kandy  was  reached. 

!n  Ceylon's  Forests. 

The  talipot  palm,  found  in  Ceylon,  grows  to  the  height  of  seventy  or  eighty 
feet;  at  the  age  of  forty  years  it  blooms,  for  the  first  time,  with  a  loud  report,  and 
almost  immediately  dies. 

During  this  railroad  trip  we  passed  cinnamon  gardens,  sweetly  fragrant,  not 
from  the  bloom  or  berry,  but  from  the  wounded  bark  while  being  gathered  at  the 
semi-annual  harvest.  Then  followed  widespread  coffee  plantations,  the  cultiva- 
tion   of  which    formed    one   of  the  greatest  industries   of   Ceylon,  until    it   was 

(152^ 


TALIPOT    PALM. 


(153) 


154 


AROUND   THE    WORLD. 


suddenly  checked  some  years  since  by  the  leaf  fungus  that  impoverished  so 
many  of  the  planters.  In  dense  forests  we  had  pointed  out  to  us  fine  speci- 
mens of  the  ebony,  satinwood,  palms,  bamboos,  fragrant  balsams,  tree  ferns, 
anaconda-like-rooted  India-rubber  trees,  and  the  bread-fruit  tree,  with  its  deeply 
serrated,  feathery  leaves  and  its  melon-shaped  fruit,  weighing  from  three  to  four 
pounds. 

This  bread-fruit  is  prepared  for  eating  in  many  ways,  a  few  trees  supporting 
a  large  family,  and,  as  the  trees  bear  fruit  continually  for  nine  months  of  the  year, 
it  is  one  of  the  most  valued  trees  found  in  these  tropical  forests. 


DR.    TUPPKR    AND   MR.    H.A.RMON    IN    CEVI.GN. 

I  was  very  much  interested  in  the  cardamon  and  pepper  bushes,  loaded  with 
fruit,  and  what  is  known  as  the  kitool  palm,  yielding  its  harvest  of  sugar,  toddy 

and  sago. 

My  companion  in  the  coach,  who  is  an  enthusiastic  and  lifelong  student  of 
birds,  explained  the  peculiar  nest  of  the  tailor  bird,  which  sews  leaves  together 
and  constructs  a  pretty  nest  inside  of  them;  the  weaver  bird's  ne.st,  with  entrance 
tubes  over  two  feet  in  length,  and  the  pendant  nests,  built  by  a  kind  of  wasp,  in 
the  high  trees.  .„ 


TAI.IPOT    PAT,M. 


(155) 


156 


AROUND    THE   WORLD. 


On  the  riountains. 

Fifty  miles  out  from  Colombo  we  entered  the  grand  mountain  plateau  and 
ranges  of  the  interior,  where  lies  the  territory  comprised  within  the  Kandj'an 
Kingdom,  which  maintained  its  independence  all  through  the  Dutch  and  Portu- 
guese eras,  until  the  British  conquered  it  in  the  year  in  which  Waterloo  was  fought. 

As  the  train  slowh'  climbed  into  the  mountains,  the  terraced  rice  fields,  in 
vivid  green,  looked  like  giant  stairwa3^s  up  the  mountain  side,  covered  with  iheir 


TWO-WHEEI,  BUtLOCK   CART. 

verdant  carpets,  and  presented  a  striking  contrast  with  the  darker  coloring  of  the 
plantations  and  jungles.  While  we  were  passing  around  "Sensation  Rock,"  to 
the  left,  only  a  narrow  path  was  visible,  and  the  coaches  seemed  to  tremble  on  the 
edge  of  the  abyss.  A  thousand  feet  below,  the  irrigated  valle3's  stretched  far  in  the 
distance,  and  towering  above  the  other  peaks,  with  no  background  save  the  flushed 
evening  sky,  was  the  "  Bible  Rock,"  as  if  waiting  silently  for  the  finger  of  the 
Creator  to  write  upon  it  a  new  commandment. 


is8 


AROUND    THE    WORLD. 


The  City  of  Kandy. 

As  we  pursued  our  serpeutine  way  the  city  of  Kandy  could  be  seen  miles 
away,  perched  in  a  basin  of  the  mountains,  200  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
My  window  in  the  Queen's  Hotel  looks  out  upon  a  lake  three  miles  in  circumfer- 
ence, built  by  the  last  Kandyan  king,  and  around  its  clear  waters  has  been  laid 
out  a  beautiful  drive,  which  is  alive  every  afternoon  with  every  variety  of  vehicle, 
from  the  two-wheel  bullock  cart  of  the  Singhalese  to  the  four-in-hand  coach  of  the 
European,  who  has  his  short  yearly  residence  in  this  picturesque  spot. 


CART  IX  CENTRAL  CEYLON, 

Quite  contrary  to  my  usual  custom,  I  arose  early  the  first  morning  of  my  stay 
in  Kandy  and,  during  a  walk  of  several  miles  in  the  neighboring  jungles,  I  gath- 
ered fifteen  varieties  of  wild  flowers,  many  of  which  I  had  not  seen  in  my  rambles 
nearer  the  seacoast.  During  this  walk  I  became  interested  in  many  things  beside 
the  abundance  of  the  flora.  Noticing  a  coars2  cloth  bag  hung  from  the  limb  of  a 
tree,  which  was  being  swung  by  a  stout  native  man,  American -like,  I  made  an 
examination  and  found  that  the  thoughtful  husband  was  rocking  the  new-bom 
baby  to  sleep,  while  the  wife  was  cracking  rocks  on  the  roadside.  The  father 
looked  very  much  bored,  but  the  mother  appeared  quite  contented.     As  long  as 


w 
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W 

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W 

0 


Q 
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w 
s 

o 

K 

V. 

W 
0 
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(159) 


i6o  AROUND   THE   WORI.D. 

the  baby  was  in  the  bag  asleep  I  should  think  that  he  would  be  as  willing  to  take 
care  of  it  as  to  crack  rocks. 

Women  and  girls  were  met  carrying  children  astraddled  their  hips,  instead  of 
on  their  backs,  as  elsewhere  in  the  East,  and  whole  families  were  seen  taking  their 
morning  baths  at  the  street  pump.  Men,  I  noticed,  were  honest  enough  to  reveal, 
rather  than  conceal,  their  natural  vanity  by  wearing  brilliant  nose-  and  ear-rings, 
while  the  women,  true  to  nature,  were  more  modest  in  this  respect.  Washermen  and 
washerwomen  were  gathered  by  scores  along  the  banks  of  a  mountain  stream, 
washing  the  clothes  of  Europeans  by  rubbing  them  in  the  water  and  beating  them 
with  rods,  while  they  were  stretched  out  afterward  on  great,  flat  rocks.  The  early 
fruit-seller  was  on  the  streets  with  his  basket  of  cocoanuts  for  a  few  pennies  and 
his  bunch  of  fifty  bananas  for  ten  cents. 

A  short  drive  from  the  hotel  brought  us  to  the  celebrated  botanical  gardens, 
which  are  said  to  contain  25,000  species  of  plants,  and  after  spending  hours 
driving  over  miles  of  avenues  that  are  bordered  and  overhung  by  tropical  growth, 
I  was  prepared  to  believe  the  statement  of  the  Ce^donese,  that  here  is  found  the 
finest  collection  of  plants  in  the  world. 

The  name  of  Kaudy  is  associated  with  the  ancient  temple  of  Maligawa,  or 
the  Temple  of  the  Tooth,  where  the  sacred  tooth  of  Buddha  has  been  preserved, 
it  is  said,  for  more  than  fifteen  hundred  3'ears.  Because  of  this  precious  relic,  the 
king  and  priests  of  Burmah  and  Siam  continue  to  send  valuable  gifts  to  the  temple 
annualh*;  and  the  sacred  bo  tree,  near  by,  is  reported  to  be  the  oldest  historical 
tree  in  the  world,  its  record  having  been  kept  since  three  hundred  years  before  the 
Christian  era. 

The  reputed  tooth  of  the  great  Buddha  is  about  the  size  of  the  tusk  of  a  large 
boar,  and  is  enclosed  in  an  immense  casket,  decked  with  costly  gems.  What  a 
terror  this  grinder  would  be  to  modern  dentists,  and  how  we  shudder  to  think 
that  perhaps  the  founder  of  Buddhism  woke  up  one  night  with  an  ache  in  this 
identical  monster  of  a  tooth. 

An  enjoyable  day  was  spent  in  driving  through  the  tea  plantations  near  the 
city,  and  visiting  a  tea  factory,  where  I  was  shown  the  ' '  stages  ' '  of  the  tea  from 
the  time  that  it  comes  fresh  from  the  field  until  it  is  ready  for  the  foreign  market. 
Tea  grows  vigorously  in  Ceylon  from  the  southwest  coast  districts  up  to  planta- 
tions 6500  feet  above  sea  level;  and  the  higher  the  altitude  the  more  delicate  are 
the  teas  produced,  but  less  the  crop  per  acre. 

Ceylon  Tea  Cultivation. 

The  Ceylon  tea  cultivation  is  different  from  that  found  in  Japan  and  China, 
and  it  is  claimed  that  the  purest  article  on  the  market  is  shipped  from  this  island. 
The  tea  bushes  are  planted  in  lines  at  regular  distances  over  large  tracts  of  land, 


i62  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

carefully  drained,  which  is  weeded  every  mouth.  Once  a  year  the  bushes  are 
pruned  down  to  a  height  of  about  two  feet,  and  two  months  after  the  pruning  the 
first  "  flush  "  of  young  shoots  is  ready  to  be  plucked,  and  during  the  height  of 
the  season  the  flushes  reoccur  every  ten  days.  Natives,  mostly  women  and  girls, 
with  small  baskets  attached  to  their  girdles,  go  round  and  pluck  the  bud  and  a 
couple  of  the  tender,  half-developed  leaves.  Twice  a  day  the  gathered  leaves  are 
weighed  and  taken  into  the  factor^',  where  they  are  spread  thinh^  on  trays  or 
shelves  to  wither. 

The  withered  leaf  is  now  placed  in  the  rolling-machine,  driven  by  water  or 
steam,  the  rolling  lasting  for  half  an  hour,  and  from  the  moist  mass  of  twisted  and 
bruised  leaves  there  freely  comes  the  juice,  technicalh' called  "the  roll."  The 
roll  is  placed  in  trays  to  ferment  or  oxidize,  and  during  this  process  it  changes 
from  a  green  to  a  copper  color.  After  fermentation,  upon  which  depends  the 
subsequent  strength  and  flavor  of  the  tea,  the  roll  is  thinly  spread  on  trays  and 
placed  either  over  charcoal  stoves  or  in  large  iron  drying-machines,  and  in  less 
time  than  an  hour  it  is  thoroughly  crisp  and  dried. 

The  tea  is  now  sorted  or  sized  by  being  passed  through  sieves  of  different 
meshes,  giving  the  varieties  of  Pekoe,  broken  Pekoe,  Souchong,  Congou  and 
dust.  Then  comes  tlie  final  processes  of  weighing,  packing  and  shipping.  In 
Ceylon  much  more  attention  is  given  just  now  to  the  production  of  tea  than  of 
coffee  and  spices,  and  while  in  1873  the  exports  of  tea  from  the  island  were  onlj^ 
twenty-three  pounds,  in  1895  they  were  40,000,000  pounds,  and  150,000  acres  are 
under  cultivation,  with  700  European  planters  and  165,000  Indian  and  Singhalese 
laborers  engaged  on  the  tea  plantations  of  Ceylon. 

The   riarriage  Ceremony. 

Late  on  Sunday  night  I  received  a  ' '  chit ' '  from  a  friend  telling  me  of  a  swell 
Singhalese  wedding  that  was  to  occur  next  morning,  and  suggesting  that  I  get 
my  tea  and  toast  by  six  o'clock  and  be  ready  for  the  carriage  that  would  be  at  my 
door  at  6.30,  as  the  marriage  festivities  would  last  all  da3^ 

The  early  morning  drive  of  ten  miles  along  the  beach,  with  the  blue  Indian 
Ocean  to  my  right,  and  the  green-tufted  cocoanut  trees  to  my  left,  was  refreshing 
and  delightful,  and  just  as  the  music  on  the  tom-tom  at  the  bridegroom's  house 
was  well  begun  we  passed  through  the  throng  of  people  on  the  street  and  the 
crowd  of  relatives  of  the  groom  in  the  front  room.  We  were  ushered  into  a  com- 
partment which  was  decorated  most  elaborately  with  pictures  of  Buddha,  the 
royal  family  of  England,  actresses  and  celebrated  brands  of  American  tobacco. 
In  the  centre  of  the  room  was  a  huge  flower-covered  cake,  to  be  presented  at  the 
proper  time  by  the  groom  to  the  bride.  The  cousin  of  the  bridegroom  took  us  in 
charge,  and  as  he  spoke  English  very  well,  his  explanations  during  the  day  threw 


'J 

4 


(163) 


154  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

light  upon  mail}-  of  the  nu'steries  of  this  marriage,  according  to  the  complicated 
rites  of  the  Buddhist  religion. 

It  is  the  custom  for  the  relatives  only  of  the  groom  to  gather  before  the  mar- 
riage at  his  father's  house,  and  as  these  numbered  several  hundred,  we  were 
entertained  by  watching  these  Singhalese  men,  women  and  children,  some  in 
native,  and  others  in  half-European  costumes,  gathering  in  the  rooms  preparatory 
to  taking  up  the  march  for  the  house  of  the  bride's  father. 

Six  married  women,  nearest  related  to  the  groom  (^with  the  exception  of  his 
mother,  who  was  not  seen  during  the  performances),  were  ushered  in  with  great 
pomp,  and  I  am  quite  sure  that  Barnum's  agent  never  caught  anything  alive  so  won- 
derful as  these  painted,  brilliantly  costumed,  powdered  creatures !  My  self-appointed 
informer  whispered  to  me  that  it  was  the  first  time  that  these  women  had  tried  to 
dress  like  Europeans  and  Americans,  and  when  I  quietly  said  "remarkable,"  he 
seemed  quite  satisfied  with  the  effect  produced. 

The  flower  girls  from  the  groom's  house  were  dressed  in  bright  bodices, 
white  skirts,  flaming  red  stockings,  and,  as  it  was  a  dry,  hot  day,  several  of  them 
were  shod  with  brand  new,  shining  rubbers!  But  some  of  the  part\'  were  sensible 
enough  not  to  trj'  to  imitate  Western  dress,  and  these  looked  attractive  and 
graceful  in  their  hatte,  cambaya  and  kabakumththu. 

When  the  groom  appeared  in  the  handsome  Singhalese  dress  worn  by  the 
upper  classes,  ever^'one  rose,  shook  hands  with  him,  and  the  march  was  begun  for 
the  bride's  home.  Our  carriage  was  placed  next  to  the  one  containing  the  happy 
young  man,  and  with  him  we  equalh'  divided  the  attention  of  the  groups  on  the 
corners,  who  were  expecting  to  see  only  the  relatives  of  the  groom  and  Singhalese 
followers  of  Buddha. 

For  four  miles  along  the  beach  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  through  cocoanut  and 
palm  groves,  and  along  the  cinnamon  gardens,  we  moved  slowh*  until  sud- 
denly there  burst  upon  our  ears  the  noise  of  many  voices  and  the  clatter  of  the 
tom-tom,  and  our  carriages  were  surrounded  by  the  relatives  of  the  bride,  who 
gave  evidence  of  their  joy  by  the  indescribable  movements  of  their  bodies  and 
heads  and  the  clapping  of  their  hands. 

A  white  cloth  was  stretched  over  several  hundred  ^-ards  from  the  door  of  the 
liouse,  w^hite  canopies  w^ere  held  aloft  bj''  gayly  dressed  young  women;  the  father, 
"Uncles,  brothers  and  other  male  relatives  of  the  bride  came  forward  in  stately 
procession;  several  tom-toms,  each  surrounded  by  five  vigorous  persons,  gave 
forth  the  most  excruciating  music;  the  female  relations  of  the  bride  from  near  and 
far,  dressed,  if  possible,  more  remarkably  than  the  females  of  the  other  house, 
gathered  in  the  front  rooms,  and  after  the  bride  had  been  adorned  in  a  lace 
jacket  brought  her  b}'  the  bridegroom,  which  was  placed  over  her  other  bridal 
attire,  she  was  led  in,  and  for  more  than  an  hour  she  sat  upon  an  elevated  seat. 


< 

o 


(165) 


1 66 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


made  for  the  purpose,  in  the  centre  of  the  room— the  bashful,  if  not  blushing, 
object  of  the  cruel  scrutiny  of  curious  eyes. 

The  girl  bride  had  just  passed  her  fourteenth  year;  her  white  satin  costume 

fitted  not  much  better 
Ihau  the  clothes  of 
luiglish  women;  her 
])Oor  cramped  feet 
looked  little  at  ease  in 
the  white  slippers,  and 
lier  long  bridal  veil, 
with  the  price  tag 
still  on  it,  w^as  fast- 
ened to  her  jet-black 
hair  with  silver  pins 
and  white,  red  and 
pink  flowers,  and 
hung  gracefully  over 
her  hazel-brown  face. 
After  the  scruti- 
n  i  z  i  n  g  process  was 
over,  and  all  the 
members  of  the  two 
houses  had  examined 
lier  from  every  point 
of  view,  the  bride  was 
lielped  from  her  chair 
by  the  married  women 
of  the  groom's  house, 
and  she  was  soon 
standing  with  her 
lover  on  a  raised  mat, 
covered  with  wdiite 
-loth,  in  the  large 
middle  room,  in  the 
immediate  presence  of 
their  maternal  uncles. 
The  marriage 

ceremony,  according  to  the  religion  of  Buddha,  was  conunenced  by  the  senior 
uncle;  parts  of  it  were  repeated  b)"  the  younger  uncles;  the  thumbs  of  the  couple 
were  tied  together  with  white  cord,  over  which  was  poured  cold  water;   the  cords 


TAMII^S,    CEYI^ON. 


WITH   KYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


167 


were  untied,  and  the  groom  placed  two  rings  on  the  bride's  finger  and  she 
put  two  rings  on  his.  The  gray-haired  father  of  the  groom  then  waved  over  the 
pair  a  tray  containing  lighted  tapers,  and  the  Buddhist  ceremon}^  was  closed  with 
words  of  advice  to  the  new-made  husband  and  wife  and  with  the  announcement 
that  presents  were  in  order.  The  young  husband  presented  his  wife  with  a  satin 
dress  and  jacket,  which  were  put  on  her  publicly  by  two  w^omen,  who  looked  like 
they  had  been  kissing  the  inside  of  a  flour-barrel.      The  bride's  father  gave  to  his 


TE.\   PACKING  AND  WEIGHING. 

son-in-law  a  pile  of  rupees  (a  rupee  is  about  twent3--seven  cents  of  our  money), 
which  were  counted  and  the  amount — six  hundred  and  five — was  announced,  and 
a  tract  of  land  as  a  dower,  and  then  smaller  presents  followed. 

After  a  general  hand-shaking,  which  was  the  only  mode  of  congratulation, 
the  procession  moved  off  toward  the  office  of  the  registrar,  where  the  record  of 
the  marriage  was  made  according  to  English  laws.  The  proposition  that  I  made, 
through  my  interpreter,  to  have  a  photograph  taken  of   the   bridal    party,   was 


1 68 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


agreed  to  most  heartily  by  the  3-oung  couple,  and  at  the  groom's  house,  in 
the  afternoon,  an  obliging  photographer  secured  excellent  views  of  the  merr}^ 
crowd.     As  I  was  bidding  farewell  to  them  a  cousin  of  the  bridegroom,  to  whom 

I  had  been  speaking 
of  certain  customs  in 
America,  said  to  me 
in  broken  English: 
"  I  have  fixed  it  for 
you,  if  you  like,  to 
give  kiss  to  the  bride. 
Would  you  like?" 
I  shall  not  give  to 
the  public  ni}'  reply. 


LOW   CASTE   TAMIL   GIRL. 


creepers.     The  wild  forests  in  which  they  1 
porcupines,  iguanas,  peacocks  and  jungle 


The  Wild  Hen  of 
Ceylon. 

Far  back  in  the 
central  and  eastern, 
provinces  of  Ceylon, 
away  from  all  civil- 
izing influences,  is 
found  a  class  of  hu- 
man beings  that  live 
very  much  like  the 
beasts  of  the  forest, 
and  from  their  ap- 
pearance, customs 
and  language  the 
conclusion  has  been 
reached  that  they  are 
the  aborigines  of  the 
country'. 

The}'  live  on  the 
game  the)'  kill,  the 
fish  they  catch,  the 
roots  and  seeds  of 
certain  aquatic  plants 
and  jungle  plants  and 
ive  abound  in  elk,  deer,  hogs,  monkeys, 
fowls,  all  of  which  they  kill  with  their 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


169 


bows  and  arrows  except  the  iguana,  which  they  run  down  with  their  dogs.  The 
steaks  from  the  larger  animals  they  dry  in  the  sun,  and  these  are  eaten  raw,  with 
salt.  The  rotten  wood  of  a  tree  called  bala  is  beaten  to  powder,  kneaded  into  a 
paste  with  honey  and  baked  into  cakes,  which  serve  them  as  bread.  It  is  said 
when  all  other  means  of  sustenance  fail  them  they  boil  the  leaves  of  the  kora 
or  tora  trees,  which  grow  abundantly  everywhere  in  the  jungle.  They  never 
use  firearms,  but  the  bows  and  arrows  are  used  with  great  skill,  with  which  they 
kill  the  bear,  the  panther  and  other  formidable  animals. 


MT.    I^AVINIA   HOTEL,    COLOMBO,    CEYLON. 

These  wild  men  never  smoke,  they  know  nothing  of  intoxicating  drinks  and 
drink  nothing  but  water.  Some  of  them  live  in  trees,  and  if  thej^  have  huts  they 
are  constructed  in  the  rudest  manner,  composed  of  a  mere  roof  of  three  or  four 
sloping  poles,  one  end  of  which  is  placed  in  the  ground  and  the  other  end  is 
supported  by  a  cross-stick  placed  on  two  perpendicular  ones.  The  huts  are  covered 
with  bark  of  trees  or  dried  grass.  As  they  seldom  stay  more  than  two  or  three 
months  in  one  place  these  stick  and  grass  houses  can  easily  be  removed. 


170 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


The  men  wear  a  string  round  their  middle,  with  a  narrow  piece  of  cloth 
attached;  the  women  wear  a  cloth  something  like  an  apron;  the  hair  of  both  sexes 
is  never  cut,  their  bodies  are  never  washed  except  by  the  rain,  and  they  never 
have  been  known  to  laugh. 

The  Devil  Dances. 

The  use  of  medicine  is  not  known  among  them,  and  in  case  of  sickness  the 
demon  priest  is  sent  for,  who  leads  what  is  known  as  the  devil  dances  around  the 
sick  person,  chanting  certain  incantations,  which  are  supposed  to  propitiate  the 
demon  who  is  causing  the  illness.      No  respect  is  paid  to  the  dead;  the  body  is 

thrown  into  the  jungles  to  be  de- 
\'oured  by  the  wild  beasts,  and,  as  far 
as  it  has  been  ascertained,  the}'  have 
no  notion  at  all  of  a  future  .state. 

The  class  known  as  the  hill  Ved- 
das  is  of  a  savage  and  ferocious  dis- 
position. They  dress  only  in  a  small 
apron  of  plaited  leaves;  the  women 
are  scarcely  ever  seen,  and  the}'  dwell 
in  the  deepest  recesses  of  the  woods 
or  among  the  rocks  in  the  hill  countr}', 
living  entirely  on  what  nature  affords 
them,  especially  roots,  leaves  and  bugs. 


Trade  with  Outsiders. 

I  am  told  that  they  obtain  the 
iron  heads  for  their  arrows  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner:  They  carry  a  quantity 
of  dried  flesh  and  honey  to  a  place 
near  the  residence  of  a  Singhalese 
blacksmith  and  hang  it  up  on  a  tree  out  of  the  reach  of  dogs  and  jackals,  together 
with  a  leaf  cut  in  the  shape  of  the  iron  article  they  want.  If  the  blacksmith 
does  not  make  the  exchange  speedily,  he  will  hear  from  the  wild  man  in  a  more 
vigorous"  manner. 

The  language  of  these  sons  of  the  forests  and  mountains  defies  all  analysis, 
and  no  one  has  been  found  who  can  interpret  their  mutterings.  When  the  Prince 
of  Wales  visited  Colombo,  some  years  ago,  several  of  these  creatures  were  cap- 
tured and  brought  into  the  circle  of  civilization  for  him  to  see,  but  when  at  liberty 
again  they  fled  back  to  the  freedom  of  the  forests,  where  each,  as  a  prince  of 
nature,  enjoyed  the  royal  right,  unlike  the  English  prince,  of  doing  as  he  pleased. 


COI.OMBO  HIGH   CASTK. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


171 


With    Arabi  Pasha. 

Through  the  kindly  consideration  of  a  gentleman  from  Scotland,  who  has  a 
large  tea  estate  in  the  interior  of  Ceylon,  I  was  enabled  to  have  an  interview  of 
several  hours  with  Arabi  Pasha,  the -famous  Egyptian,  who  is  a  prisoner  of  state 
and  an  exile  from  his  native  land  by  the  authority  of  the  English  government. 

This  man,  whose  exploits  in  the  \ear  1.S82  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
world,  lives  in  an  humble  bungalow  on  the  outskirts  of  the  old  cit}-  of  Kandy, 
and  with  a  pension  of  fift}'  pounds  a  month,  sent  him  by  the  government  at  Cairo, 
supports  a  family  of  twentj^-five  persons. 

On  mv  arrival  at  his  residence  he  met  me  at  the  door  in  quite  a  democratic 
manner,  and  after  a  hearty  grasp  of  the 
hand  and  a  few  expressions  of  saluta- 
tion he  was  soon,  without  the  least  hesi- 
tation, discussing  his  varied  and  thrilling 
experiences. 

He  is  a  magnificent  specimen  of  an 
Eg3'ptian,  being  six  feet  and  two  inches 
in  height  and  v.^eighing  about  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty  pounds,  and  when  he 
became  aroused,  while  describing  h.\y, 
efforts  to  give  freedom  and  independ- 
ence to  his  people,  he  .stood  erect, 
threw  back  his  great  head  and  looked 
ever\'  inch  a  hero. 

The   Pasha's  Account. 

His  English  is  .somewhat  broken, 
but  it  was,  wdthout  difficulty,  that  I  fol- 
lowed his  eloquent  words,  which  at  times 
stirred  me  thoroughlj'  and  elicited  ray 
sympathy. 

' '  I  am  a  prisoner  of  state, ' '  he  said,  ' '  and  I  cannot  discuss  current  politics, 
but  as  matters  have  changed  in  Egypt  and  as  the  reformation  that  I  attempted  to 
bring  about  is  gradually  taking  place,  I  am  willing  to  give  to  you  and  to  the 
American  press  an  account  of  my  life  and  the  motives  that  prompted  my  actions 
in  1882.  I  confess  that  I  wanted  to  see  my  country  free,  and  for  this  freedom  and 
for  the  deliverance  of  my  people  from  internal  and  external  corruption  I  staked  my 
life  and  my  all.  I  think  now.  as  I  thought  then,  that  the  God  above  has  given  to 
different  peoples  different  lands,  and  the  inhabitants  of  tho.se  lands  should  be  left 
to  control  them  if  they  are  willing  to  have  law  and  order. 


SINGHAI.HSE    MAN. 


172 


AROUND    THE   WORLD 


"  I  wanted  to  do  for  m}'  countr}-  what  Washington  did  for  his,  and  if  I  had 
been  successful,  to-day  I  would  be  loved  and  honored  in  my  own  country,  instead 
of  being  an  exile  from  my  home  on  this  island.  It  is  not  for  me,  in  my  position, 
to  sa}'  anything  against  the  great  power  of  England  that  conquered  me,  but  all  the 
facts  are  becoming  known  and  perhaps  during  my  lifetime  I  shall  be  put  right 
before  the  world. 

"  If  I  am  allowed  to  return  to  my  native  land,  I  promise  never  again  to  take 
part  in  public  affairs  unless  my  people  call  me  to  lead  them,  and  as  the  movements 


AX   ELEPHANT   MARCH. 

that  I  started  are  largely  being  carried  out  by  others,  and  as  my  ideas  are  being 
adopted  practically  in  Eg>'pt,  my  presence  there  could  not  possibly  do  harm.  I  do 
not  want  to  die  an  exile  from  home." 

The   Rebellion   of   1882. 

These  are  nearly  the  exact  words  of  Arabi  Pasha,  but  as  some  of  3'our  readers 
may  not  recall  the  facts  of  the  rebellion  that  he  led,  I  shall  briefl}^  give  them.  In 
the  latter  months  of   1881  Arabi,  an  Egyptian  peasant,  but  a  man  of  great  courage 


WITH    EYES   WIDE  OPEN. 


173 


and  genius,  who  had  risen  to  one  of  the  highest  positions  in  the  service  of  the 
Khedive,  became  enraged  by  the  absolute  and  grossh^  abused  power  of  the  Turkish 
ruling  caste,  and  through  his  leadership  the  Khedive,  himself  a  Turk,  was  forced 
to  grant  his  subjects  a 
parliament  and  con- 
stitution on  Western 
models. 

Under  the  new 
order  Arabi  was  ap- 
pointed minister  of 
war  and  immediately 
addressed  himself  to 
certain  reforms  that 
were  greatly  needed 
in  the  country.  The 
n  e  w  constitutional 
ministers  were  recog- 
nized by  all  the  Eu- 
ropean powers,  includ- 
ing England,  and  at 
that  time  Arabi  and 
his  followers  were 
greeted  as  reformers. 
But  the  foreign  cred- 
itors of  Egypt  think- 
ing that  their  financial 
interests  were  endan- 
gered under  a  govern- 
ment so  democratic, 
took  alarm,  and  such 
pressure  was  brought 
to  bear  upon  the  Eng- 
lish government  that, 
largely  through  the 
influence     of     Lord 


/  •••i^ 


ARABI   PASHA,    AN   EXILE  IN   CEYLON. 


Granville,  vigorous  steps  were  taken  to  restore  the  Turksh  Khedive's  despotic 
rule.  As  it  will  be  remembered,  English  ships  were  sent  to  Alexandria  to 
intimidate  the  new  ministers  and  Parliament,  but  Arabi  and  certain  trusted 
associates  refused  to  betray  the  heroically  won  liberties  and  declined  to  yield  to  the 
English  admiral's  threats. 


^74 


AROUND    THE    WORLD 


All  attempt  was  now  made  to  get  rid  of  Arabi  in  a  more  indirect  way  A 
commissioner  was  secured  b\-  Lord  Granville  from  the  Sultan  to  entrap  the 
minister  of  war  in  a  conference  and  there  shoot  or  arrest  hin:,  but  through  timely 
warning  from" certain  foreign  friends  Arabi  escaped  the  trap  set  for  him,  and  all 
-seemed  smooth  sailing  for  a  short  time. 

But  the  end  was  not  yet.  After  the  fashion  of  the  fable  of  the  wolf  and  the 
lamb,    a   quarrel   was  picked    with    these    patriotic  Egyptians    and   the  city   of 

Alexandria  was  bombarded  on  the 
plea  that  the  feeble  fleet  of  England 
was  in  danger! 

As  a  last  step  in  this  unworthy 
performance  Lord  \V0lsele3'  was  sent 
to  Egypt  with  .sixty  thousand  Engli.sh 
troops.  Arabi  and  ]\Iahmud  Sami, 
with  thousands  of  others,  were  made 
prisoners  of  war  at  Cairo.  A  mock 
trial  was  instituted  against  the  lead- 
ers of  the  national  movement.  Arabi 
Pasha  ( ' '  Pasha  ' '  corresponds  to  our 
general),  the  minister  of  war,  Mah- 
niud  Sami,  the  prime  minister,  Yakub 
Sami,  the  governor  of  Cairo,  and  four 
military  officers  were  condemned  to 
death,  and  only  through  the  pressure 
of  an  outraged  public  opinion  in  Eu- 
rope did  Lord  Granville  at  la.st  ini- 
w^llingly  consent  to  a  commutation  of 
their  death  penalty  to  one  of  exile  to  a 
British  colony. 

The  Eg}'ptian    liberal  party  and 
Parliament    were    disbanded,   the  pa- 
triotic ministers  and  five  pashas  were 
*' deported  "  to  Ceylon    and    an  Englishman,  Sir   Evelyn    Baring,  was  installed 
in  Egypt,  with  the  cowardly,   cringing  Turkish  Khedive  to  do  his  bidding,  or 
rather  the  bidding  of  the  British  government. 


SINGHALESE   GIRL. 


British  Rule  and  Reforms. 

After  eight  or  ten  j-ears'  rule  in  Egypt  under  English  influence  Sir  Evelyn 
Baring  published  a  report  in  which  he  claims  for  the  British  government  the 
success  of  certain  internal  reforms  by  which  the  finances  have  been  set  in  order 


w 

Ph 

> 
< 


m' 


fi  1     iM>  ^1 . — t_s-EBaKi-_ 


(175; 


176  AROUND    THE   WORLD 

and  check  has  been  put  on  the  abuses  of  power  by  the  Turkish  privileged  class 
and  certain  European  colonists.  But  Arabi  Pasha,  in  his  earnest  declaration  to 
me,  insisted  that  these  very  reforms  owe  their  initiative  and  vitality  to  the 
national  movement  that  he  headed,  and  to  prove  this  he  produces  the  program 
published  by  him  in  December,  18S1. 

An  intelhgent  Englishman  makes  this  public  statement:  "  Although  we  have 
been  for  years  in  Egypt,  we  have  introduced  no  reform  there  upon  any  permanent 
basis.  The  popular  institutions  won  by  Arabi,  and  which  gave  so  much  promise 
of  a  new  life  to  Egypt,  and  through  Egypt  to  other  Mohammedan  countries,  have 
been  ruthlessly  uprooted.  No  vestige  of  political  liberty  has  been  left,  and  in 
spite  of  every  effort  the  English  representative  in  Egypt  has  nothing  better  to 
recommend  than  an  indefinite  prolongation  of  our  military  occupation  and  our 
English  tutelage.  What  England  has  accomplished  in  Egypt  has  been  along  the 
lines  of  Arabi's  program,  and  to  allow  the  originator  of  these  reforms  to  die  in 
exile,  an  English  prisoner  of  war,  would  be  a  monstrous  shame. ' ' 

I  am  aware  that  the  question  whether  Arabi  Pasha  is  a  patriot  or  a  criminal 
is  an  unsettled  one  in  the  minds  of  man}-,  but  the  trend  of  events  in  Eg>^pt  since 
he  was  banished,  the  intelligent  discussion  of  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  national 
movement  and  the  conduct  of  Arabi  during  his  long  exile  have  elicited  for  him 
and  his  cause  much  sj^mpathy  in  Europe  and  America. 

Of  course,  Eord  Salisbury's  administration  is  inflexibly  against  the  return  of 
the  old  man  to  his  loved  land,  and  I  suppose  that  there  is  not  a  Tor}-  in  her 
Majesty's  service  who  w^ould  dare  to  differ,  publicly,  with  the  premier  on  this  or 
on  any  other  question  of  state;  but  if  many  others  are  not  greatly  mistaken,  the 
verdict  of  history  will  be  given  in  favor  of  this  man,  who  thought  and  fought  for 
the  independence  of  his  country,  and  who  tried  to  rid  his  land  of  rulers  who  had 
proved  themselves  utterly  incapable  to  govern;  who  had  pawned  the  produce  of 
their  country  twice  over  to  the  money-grabbers  of  Paris,  Amsterdam  and  L,ondon; 
who  had  taxed  every  acre  of  Egypt  far  beyond  its  value,  and  who  had  ground  down 
to  desperation  the  historic  docility  of  that  laborious  and  loyal  people,  in  order 
that  a  small  class  and  caste  might  revel  in  luxur5% 

Letter  to  Lady  Blunt. 

Arabi  Pasha  handed  me  a  copy  of  a  letter  that  he  addressed  to  Lady  Anne 
Blunt,  of  England,  wdio  had  shown  sympathy  for  the  Egyptian  patriot  and  his 
fellow-exiles.     This  pathetic  appeal  was  written  some  years  since: 

"  To  the  Lady  Blunt :  May  God  preserve  you.  Amen.  AVe  have  forwarded  to  the 
Marquess  of  Salisbury  the  petition  signed  by  nie  and  by  the  rest  of  the  exiles  here  with  me.  I 
sent  it,  with  medical  certificates,  on  the  thirtieth  of  last  month,  by  the  same  steamer  which 
conveyed  the  late  governor.  Sir  Arthur  Gordon.     Sir  William  Gregory,  who  is  a  friend  of  both 


WITH   KYES   WIDE   OPKN. 


177 


parties,  knows  the  substance  of  the  petition,  and  will  inform  you  of  it  when  you  see  him.  We 
have  been  now  seven  years  and  a  half  in  Ceylon,  while  those  very  reforms  which  we  wanted  to 
make  in  Egypt  are  being  carried  out  by  the  British  government,  and  we  confidently  trust  in  the 
humanity  of  the  English  nation  for  our  return  to  our  country  for  the  days  that  are  left  us  of  life, 
and  to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  such  reforms  as  it  has  obtained.  Surely  now  the  people  in  England 
must  understand  that  to  seek  such  reforms  was  our  duty — one  both  of  patriotism  and  humanity. 
Peace  be  with  you  and  with  all  who  are  your  friends. 

"[Signed]  Ahmed  Arabi,  the  Egyptian.^'' 

"  Colombo,  June  15,  1S90." 

Although  five  3'ears  and  a  half  have  been  added  to  this  man's  banishment 
since  this  letter  was  penned  by  him,  and  although  earnest  speeches  have  been 
made  by  the  Earl  De  I^a  Warr,  Mr.  Wilfrid  Blunt  and  others,  in  and  out  of 
Parliament,  in  behalf  of  his  release,  he  is  still  an  English  prisoner  of  war, 
thousands  of  miles  from  his  home,  and  his  patriotic  heart  will  doubtless  beat  its 
last  pulsation  in  his  bungalow,  near  the  jungles  of  Ceylon. 


12 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FIRST   inPRESSIONS   OF   INDIA. 

URING  the  latter  part  of  my  stay  in  Ceylon  I  enjoyed  the 
privilege  of  visiting  several  of  the  educational  institutions  of 
Colombo,  and  through  the  kindness  of  Professor  S.  G.  Lee, 
the  principal  of  the  City  College,  I  addressed  the  faculty  and 
students  of  this  excellent  foundation.  Before  meeting  them 
in  the  large  hall  of  the  college  the  boys  and  young  men 
were  seen  in  the  separate  classes,  and  in  some  of  these  class- 
rooms there  were  as  manj^  as  eight  nationalities  represented. 

The  curriculum  corresponds  somewhat  to  that  found  in  our  higher  academies, 
and  a  certificate  from  this  school  enables  the  graduate  without  difficulty  to  enter 
Jaffna  College,  in  Northern  Ceylon,  or  one  of  the  higher  institutions  of  India. 
Several  hundred  pupils,  from  the  palest  to  the  darkest  complexion,  gathered  in 
the  hall,  and  m}' talk  on  "  Self- Heroism  "  was  punctuated  bj- j'outhful  exclama- 
tions and  hurrahs  that  did  not  add  to  the  fluency  of  the  speaker. 

Elephants  on  His   Hands. 

As  a  result  of  the  visit  he  found  next  day  that  he  had  several  elephants  on 
his  hands.  Six  packages  of  Ceylon  curios  were  sent,  including  two  heavy  ebony 
elephants,  ' '  with  the  compliments  of  the  City  College  of  Colombo. ' '  As  the 
steamer  trunk  had  been  shipped  on  to  Bomba}'-,  with  the  expectation  that  a  valise 
was  to  be  his  sole  companion  through  the  cities,  jungles  and  mountains  of  India, 
what  was  the  grateful  recipient  to  do  ?  His  embarrassment  was  not  lessened  by 
the  message  that  some  of  the  faculty  and  students  would  be  at  the  Nubia  when 
she  sailed  to  wish  the  American  bon  voyage^  which  information  seemed  to  forbid 
the  propriety  of  leaving  behind  some  of  his  burdensome  wealth. 

Necessity  is  often  the  mother  of  invention,  and  a  pleasant  farewell  has  been 
waved  to  the  kind-hearted  friends,  who  were  only  guilty  of  being  too  kind. 

The  City  of  Madras. 

On  approaching  India  you  are  first  greeted  by  the  noble  lighthouse  at  Madras, 
over  a  hundred  feet  in  height,  which  can  be  seen  for  twenty  miles  over  the  restless 
waters  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal.  Situated  on  the  open  bay  and  exposed  to  the  fury 
of  the  northeast  monsoons,  Madras  was  one  of  the  most  unprotected  spots  on  the 
Coromandel  coast  until  the  stone  breakwater  was  built,  which  is  composed  of  a 

(17S) 


I  So 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


conglomerate  of  small  stones  and  cement  in  the  form  of  large  cubes,  after  the  plan 
adopted  by  De  Lesseps  in  the  construction  at  Port  Said,  which  forms  the  Mediter- 
ranean entrance  of  the  Suez  Canal. 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  the  peculiar  structure  of  the  shore  boats  that  are 
used  by  the  natives  of  different  lands.  For  miles  from  the  coast  of  India,  in  the 
Bay  of  Bengal,  the  waters  are  alive  with  fishermen's  boats  that  are  different  from 
any  I  have  seen.  They  are  built  of  three  pieces  of  timber,  ten  or  twelve  feet 
long,  tied  securely  together  with  cocoanut  fibre,  the  centre  one  being  longer  than 
the  others  and  curved  upward  at  each  end. 


CATAMARAN    FISHING   BOATS,    MADRAS. 


As  our  steamer  was  obliged  to  anchor  some  distance  off  shore,  a  boat  was  used 
to  take  the  passengers  to  the  wharf,  which  is  peculiar  in  construction.  It  is  made 
of  teak,  a  wood  peculiar  to  India  and  excellent  for  ship-building  ;  the  thin  planks 
are  sewed  together  with  hide  thongs,  caulked  wdtli  cocoanut  fibre  ;  no  nails  are 
used,  which  could  not  take  the  place  of  the  yielding  thongs,  and  eight  to  ten 
rowers  propel  the  boat  with  oars  shaped  like  spoons,  being  strong  elastic  poles  with 
flat  rounded  ends  securely  lashed  to  them  by  hide  thongs. 

You  soon  find  yourself  facing  an  esplanade,  located  between  the  two  roots  of 
the  breakwaters  and  facing  the  harbor,  which   is  an   irregular  terrace  of  large 


WITH   EYES    WIDE   OPEN. 


i8i 


business  premises,  behind  which  is  Blacktown,  the  native  city,  which  is  distin- 
guished from  Whitetown,  the  European  quarter,  surrounding  the  fort  near  the 
suburbs.  Great  shade  trees  add  beauty  to  most  of  the  streets  where  the  foreign 
residences  and  shops  are  located,  and  the  marine  promenade,  about  two  miles  long, 
is  crowded  toward  sunset  with  handsome  equipages  and  well-dressed  pedestrians. 

In  and   around   Madras  there  are  many  extensive  lakes  and  tanks,  some  of 
which  are  very  noted.     At  one  of  the  suburbs  called  Triplicane  there  is  an  ancient 


native;  passenger  cart,  madras. 

and  sacred  tank,  said  by  its  Brahmans  to  be  more  hoh-  than  the  Ganges,  and  one 
bath  in  its  waters  is  equal  to  ten  thousand  dips  in  that  river. 

The  cit}-,  with  its  half  million  of  people,  and  covering  an  area  of  about  thirty 
miles,  is  full  of  interest  to  the  sight-seer. 

Sight=Seeing. 

The  People's  Park,  wnthits  eleven  pretty  lakes,  its  well-maintained  menagerie 
and  aviaries,  and  its  miles  of  shady  walks;  the  Robinson  Park,  where  a  large 
fernery  is  placed  on  an  island  reached  by  a  graceful  iron  bridge  of  fifty  feet  span; 
the  St.  Thomas  Mount,  sacred  to  many  as  the  spot  where  St.  Thomas  the  Apostle 


1 82 


AROUND   THE    WORLD 


is  said  to  have  been  martyred  in  68  A.  D.  by  Brahmans,  who  stirred  np  the  people 
against  him;  the  old  palace  of  the  Nawabsof  the  Karnatic,  now  used  as  a  govern- 
ment building,  and  the  museum,  containing  a  collection  of  natural  history-,  among 
which  is  the  great  skeleton  of  a  whale  fift}'  feet  long,  found  dead  on  the  Mangalore 
shore,  said  to  be  the  most  perfect  specimen  in  existence,  and  departments  of 
botany'',  economics,  mineralogy,  geology  and  industrial  arts  that  are  well  chosen 
and  excellently  kept  up.    All  of  these  places  can  be  visited  in  a  single  day,  and  with 


C.ROLP    OF   TODDYMEN,    MADRAS. 

an  intelligent  guide  3-ou  may  be  sure  that   3"our  note-book  will  be  crowded  by 
night. 

The  proportion  of  Christians  is  higher  in  Madras  than  anywhere  else  in 
British  India,  and  I  learned  that  the  Church  of  Scotland,  the  Wesleyans,  the 
lyondon  Missionary  Society,  the  Free  Church  of  England,  the  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  the  German  Lutherans,  the  Roman  Catholics,  the 
American  Baptists  and  others  are  hard  at  work,  and  I  can  easily  imagine  how 
the  poor  native  who  w^anted  to  become  a  Christian  would  be  iitterly  at  a  loss  to 
know  which  way  to  turn  and  through  what  door  to  pass. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


183 


There  is   in  the  city  a  large  number  of  schools,    among  which  the  most 
important  are  the  Madras  Christian  College  of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland,  with 
nearly  two  thousand  pupils,  one  of  the  most  famous  educational  institutions  in 
India;  the  City  Medical  College,  and  the  Presidenc}'  Government  College,  all  of 
which  prepare  students  for  the  Madras  University. 

As  in  every  other  place  in  this  part  of  the  world,  the  shops  and  bazaars  of 
Madras  form  a  prominent  and  important  feature  of  the  city  life.  The  pierced  and 
hammered  silver  work  is  exquisite  in  design  and  workmanship,  and  the  work 
known  as  swarai,  decorated  with  figures  of  the  Puranic  gods  in  high  relief — 
sometimes  repousse,  sometimes  soldered  on  the  surface — was  strikingly  unique. 

The  blackwood  furniture,  the 
carvings  in  sandal-wood  and  ivory, 
the  models  of  Dravidian  temples  made 
of  the  pith  of  the  sola,  and  the  artistic 
coconada  rugs,  woven  in  oiit-of-the- 
way  villages  on  the  Coromandel  coast 
by  the  Mussulman  descendants  of 
Persian  settlers,  tempt  3-ou  to  linger 
in  the  native  shops,  and  3'ou  are  apt 
to  come  forth  from  them  with  fewer 
rupees  than  when  you  entered. 

In  the  native  settlement,  groups 
of  dancing  girls  are  frequently  met. 
These  are  nearly  alwaj'S  connected 
with  the  temple  services,  and,  for  a 
consideration,  which  is  supposed  to 
be  appropriated  by  the  priests,  these 
young  women  give  performances  of 
their  art.  Their  dances  are  supposed 
to  represent  stories  of  different  char- 
acter, and  love,  hatred,  jealousy  and 
passions  of  different  kinds  are  set  forth  by  the  postures,  contortions  and  facial 
expressions  of  these  dancers,  whose  ankles  are  encircled  by  little  silver  bells,  the 
music  from  which  is  supposed  to  be  in  harmony  with  the  instrument  that  is  fur- 
nishing the  dance  music. 

When  these  girls  are  unengaged  by  the  temples,  they  are  frequentlj^  engaged 
by  private  citizens,  and,  as  in  the  East,  people  seldom  do  their  own  dancing, 
these  professional  toe-tippers  are  brought  in,  and  afford  amusement  during  the 
evening  for  a  few  rupees.  It  may  be  according  to  the  fitness  of  things  that  these 
people  hire  both  their  mourners  and  their  dancers. 


^^^^^^■^      ^^^^^^^H 

■ 

^^H^^^^pHR 

^H 

j^'^iW 

■ 

^^^^^^^^^^^^Hn^^^^H^H^H@^^^H 

^H 

^^^^^Vv.         v^p  ^^^^H 

^^^W/l 

^^H 

^^^fc/*^**~^^— «^*^^  ^B 

^^PV-^v' 

^^^H 

l^-^^^1^ 

':ii 

^H 

'  ^^1 

^ 

^H 

ii  ll 

^^S'"> 

H 

^fcAiJ 

f^l^^'?^^* 

^^ 

^^^^^v 

^m^^"^ 

'"^:..    ■■         '     . 

DEVIt,   DANCERS   OE   MADRAS. 


1 84 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


The  Seven  Pagodas. 


Thirty  miles  south  of  Madras  is  located  Mahabalipur  (or  the  Seven  Pagodas), 
which  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  places  in  India  to  the  archaeologist,  presenting 
a  series  of  architectural  wonders  from  the  early  Christian  centuries  down  to  recent 
times,  their  remoteness  on  a  sea-washed  island  having  contributed  to  their 
remarkable  preservation.  The  cave  temples,  monolithic  figures,  carvings  and 
sculpture,  probably  of  the  sixth  century-,  and  the  more  modern  temples  of 
Vishnu  and  Siva  are  of  thrilling  historic  interest.     The  whole  of  one  ridge   is 


DOUBI,:^  BUI.I.OCK:  RAIKI,A,    MADRAS. 

pitted  with  caves  and  temples,  and  there  is  seen  the  recumbent  figure  of  a  man, 
which  measures  1500  feet,  with  its  hands  in  the  attitude  of  prayer.  Here  we 
find,  in  architecture,  sculptures,  and  in  inscriptions  a  religious  histor>^  of  Southern 
India  carved  in  the  imperishable  rock. 

The  Bay  of  Bengal. 

From  Madras  to  Calcutta,  during  the  month  of  February,  the  Bay  of  Bengal 
is  as  placid  as  a  sleeping  lake.  The  cyclones,  which  seem  most  at  home  in  these 
waters  during  the  rest  of  the  year,  are  unknown  in  this  month,  and  from  the 


A   THOROUGHFARE   IN    CALCUTTA. 


(185.) 


i86 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


moment  that  our  steamer  lifted  anchor  within  the  breakwater  at  Madras  until  we 
passed  through  the  mouth  of  the  Hooghly  River  for  Calcutta  our  voyage  was  the 
perfection  of  tranquillit\',  the  unbroken  sapphire  of  the  bay  being  disturbed  for 

days  only  by  the  little 
flying  fish  making  a 
chain  of  ripples  on 
the  sparkling  mirror 
of  the  deep,  or  by  a 
lazy,  rolling  whale, 
bent  on  proving  that 
there  was  something 
alive  in  the  sea,  spout- 
ing his  fountain  into 
the  serene  air. 

Evening  after 
evening  as  we  watch 
the  sun  sinking  over 
the  Coromandel  coast, 
turning  the  smooth 
face  of  the  waters  into 
a  floor  of  ruby  and 
purple,  we  can  under- 
stand why  Homer 
speaks  of  it  as  "  wine- 
colored,"  and  when 
the  queen  of  night 
takes  the  place  of  the 
king  of  da}'  the  pic- 
ture in  water  colors 
changes,  and,  assisted 
b}"  the  lesser  lights, 
this  generous  empress  of  the  evening  scatters  her  jewels  broadcast  over  the 
laughing  waters. 

The  author  of  ' '  The  Eight  of  Asia  ' '  grows  poetically  eloquent  in  his  ecstasy 
over  this  beautiful  bay: 

"  For,  even  these  days  of  subtler  air  and  finer  delight, 
When  lovelier  looks  the  darkness  and  diviner  the  lisrht, 
The  gift  they  give  of  all  these  golden  hours  whose  urn 
Pours  forth  reverberate  ra3's  or  shadowing  showers  in  turn — 
Clouds,  beams  and  winds  that  make  the  fair  day's  track  seem  living — 
What  were  they  did  no  spirit  give  them  back  thanksgiving?" 


A   MADRAS   BELLE. 


(iS7) 


188 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


Calcutta. 

Calcutta  (taking  its  name  from  the  ancient  shrine  of  the  goddess  Kali)  is 
located  about  ninety  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Hooghly  River,  and  as  the 
navigation  of  this  stream  is  attended  with  many  dangers,  expert  pilots,  who  are 
at  the  head  of  their  profession  and  who  draw  large  stipends,  are  employed  to  guide 
all  steamers  up  and  down  the  river. 

The  chief  peril  is  known  as  "James  and  Mary"  (from  the  name  of  a  ship 
that  was  wrecked  at  this  point  some  years  ago),  and  the  shoal  thrown  up  by  two 
tidal  currents  meeting  the  broad  stream  of  the  Ganges  causes,  at  low  water,  a 
frightful  "rip,"  which  has  often  torn  the  steering-gear  of  a  ship  to  pieces  and 

flung  her  broadside  on  the  sand. 
Even  the  best  pilots  do  not  dare  to 
pass  this  place  at  night  time,  and 
must  seek  to  cross  it  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible at  high  water. 

Nearer  the  mouth  of  the  river  is 
Saugor  Island,  where  the  Ganges 
runs  to  sea  out  of  the  great  delta 
formed  by  her  own  flood  and  that  of 
the  Brahmapootra,  and  I  am  told  that 
the  forests  of  this  lonely  place 
abound  with  tigers  of  a  large  and 
ferocious  kind.  But,  unhurt  b}'  tide 
or  tiger,  in  due  time  we  reach  the 
political  capital  of  India. 

It   has    been    a   little    over    two 

hundred  years  since    the  East  India 

Company  first  established  its  factory 

at  Calcutta,  and  on  the  twenty-fourth 

of  August,    1690,   the  English    flag  was   hoisted  by   the   noted   Job  Charnock. 

Twenty  years  afterward  its  population  was  only  twelve  thousand  and  now  it  is 

not  very  far  from  a  million. 

The  Calcutta  of  our  day  is  modern  in  all  of  its  improvements,  and  the  famous 
Black  Hole,  the  Maratha  Ditch  and  other  historic  spots  that  we  associate  with  the 
names  of  Charnock,  Hamilton,  Clive  and  Warren  Hastings  have  lost  their  identity 
and  the  ground  that  witnessed  scenes  that  thrilled  the  world  is  covered  by  magnifi- 
cent public  buildings. 

The  Government  House,  a  noble  palace,  situated  in  a  park  of  six  or  seven, 
acres,  with  a  central  building,  contains  handsome  suites  of  reception  and  enter- 


MADRAS   COOWE;. 


(i89) 


I  go 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


taining  rooms,  connected  by  galleries  with  four  outlying  blocks,  in  which  are  the 
private  apartments  of  the  viceroy  and  his  household;  the  town  hall,  the  legislative 
council  chamber,  the  high  court,  the  treasury  and  the  currency  office,  located  near 
together;    the  imperial  museum,  the  zoological  gardens,  the  horticultural  gardens. 


HINDU   SACRIFICE,    KAI.I   GHAT,    CAI,CUTTA. 


and  the  Fort  William  are  all  evidences  of  British  influence,  which  has  shaped  the 

appearance  as  well  as  the  government  of  Calcutta  according  to  the  notion  of  John 

Bull. 

A  Noted  Antiquity. 

The  most  noted  antiquity  in  the  city,  perhaps,  is  the  Kali  Ghat,  where  Kali, 
or  ' '  The  Black  One, ' '  who  is  supposed  to  be  a  furious  goddess,  hideous  in  features, 


< 


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(  U)l 


192 


AROUND   THE   WORIvD 


dripping  with  blood,  with  a  necklace  of  human  skulls,  has  held  her  shrine  and 
greeted  her  worshipers  for  ages  past.  She  is  thought  to  send  pestilence  and 
famine,  and,  as  she  is  only  appeased  by  blood,  during  the  fearful  famine  in  1866 
liuman  heads  decked  with  flowers  were  found  before  her  altar. 

This  is  the  only  place  of  public  worship  for  Hindus  in  Calcutta,  and  on 
religious  festivals  thousands  of  natives  repair  to  the  shrine  of  Kali,  sacrifice  goes 
on  continually  and  ghats  and  tanks  are  crowded  with  bathers. 


RIVER   FRONT,    CALCUTTA. 

In  this  connection  allow  me  to  speak  of  the  burning  ghat  on  the  banks  of  the 
Hooghly,  wdiere  the  Hindus  cremate  their  dead. 

Cremation  of  the  Dead. 

The  pyre  is  laid  in  dry  wood,  mingled  sometimes  with  sandal-wood  for  the 
sake  of  its  fragrance.  The  corpse  is  placed  at  full  length  on  the  pile  and  covered 
over  with  more  wood,  the  head  and  feet  only  being  visible.  Passages  from  the 
sacred  books  are  read  by  the  ofl&ciating  priest.     The  eldest  son  or  nearest  relative, 


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(193) 


194  AROUND   THE   WORI.D 

having  walked  three  times  round  the  pyre,  kindles  it,  and  in  two  or  three  hours 

the  body  is  reduced  to  ashes,  which  are  cast  into  the  river. 

As  we  watched  the  smoke  noiselessly  ascending  from  several  pyres,  while  the 

relatives  of  the  dead  solemnly  and  quietly,  with  bowed  heads,  stood  near  b}',  the 

thought  occurred  to  us  that  this  was  a  far  more  impressive  funeral  than  many  we 

had  seen  in  a  more  civilized  land,  where  false  notions,  based  upon  unacknowledged 

superstition,    made    such    services    most    repulsive.       But    I   turn    to   pleasanter 

scenes. 

The  Banyan  Tree. 

In  my  walks  I  visited  a  noble  specimen  of  the  banyan  tree.  It  sends  down 
aerial  roots,  striking  into  the  ground  and  forming  new  trunks,  and  these  again 
make  fresh  branches  and  rootlets  until  a  colonnade  of  living  pillars  is  formed, 
canopied  with  a  roof  of  green. 

The  name  of  this  tree  is  aszvaitha,  and  an  old  writing  says  that  he  who  knows 
the  aswattha  knows  human  life,  for  the  tree  is  an  emblem  of  the  life  of  man,  who, 
growing  to  maturity  in  the  air  and  sunlight  of  the  sense-world,  throws  forth  ever 
and  ever  new  roots  to  bind  himself  more  and  more  to  the  earth  and  its  allurements. 

These  wonderful,  outspreading  banyan  trees  adorn  many  of  the  private 
grounds  in  and  around  Calcutta,  and  in  its  refreshing  shade  the  family  can  be  seen 
during  the  pleasant  days  gathered  about  the  lunch  table. 

The  botanical  gardens,  which  are  situated  beyond  the  village  of  Seebpur,  on 
the  bank  of  the  Ganges,  contain,  perhaps,  the  finest  banyan  tree  in  the  world. 

Nearly  every  American  and  English  school  child  is  familiar  with  the  picture 

of  this  superb  tree,  and  it  is  regarded  the  greatest  glory  of  these  famous  gardens. 

Although  it  is  only  one  hundred  years  old,  its  trunk  is  more  than  fifty  feet  in 

circumference,  and  over  two  hundred  air  roots  have  descended  to  the  earth  from 

its  mighty  limbs.     Its  outside  measurement  is  more  than  eight  hundred  feet  in 

circumference. 

The  Indian  fluseum. 

Those  who  are  interested  in  archaeology  will  visit,  with  interest,  the  valuable 
contents  of  the  Indian  Imperial  Museum,  which  was  founded  by  the  Asiatic 
Society,  whose  journals  are  the  source  from  which  almost  every  authority  on 
Indian  antiquities,  philology,  literature  and  natural  history  has  come. 

The  archaeological  galleries  contain  a  gateway  and  railing  of  the  great  Budd- 
hist Stupa  of  Bharhut,  which  is  nearly  two  thousand  years  old,  and  which  is  richly 
sculptured  with  representations  of  the  various  births  of  Buddha,  giving  pictures 
of  the  dress,  tools,  weapons,  furniture,  buildings  and  domestic  life  of  the  people 
who  lived  one  and  two  hundred  years  before  the  Christian  era. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  an  imposing  building  is  pointed  out,  which 
reminds  the  student  of  history  of  an  act  of  injustice  on  the  part  of  England,  the 


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196 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


like  of  which  has  not  been  infrequent  in  her  foreign  polic}-.  This  structure  was 
the  palace  of  King  Oude,  who  was  dethroned  while  he  was  the  ruler  of  one  of  the 
richest  provinces  of  India,  and  under  some  specious  pretence  his  private  property 
was  seized,  including  his  valuable  jewels,  and  sold  to  enrich  the  treasure  of  the 
Queen  of  England.  Even  the  British  press  acknowledged  at  the  time  that 
the  English  had  no  more  right  to  that  private  property  and  to  those  precious 
stones  than  they  had  to  the  crown  diamonds  of  Russia. 

If  might  makes  right  then  our  Anglo-Saxon  cousins  have  had  a  supremelj^ 
righteous  career.  It  was  with  peculiar  interest  that  I  visited  Serampur,  a  few 
miles  from  Calcutta,  and  looked  upon  the  places  made  immortal  by  the  heroic 
efforts  of  Carey.  Marshman  and  Ward,  those  pioneers  of  missionary  enterprise  in 
India. 


^':;#^^ 


■f 


'% 


CHAPTER  X. 

IN  THE  HIMALAYAS. 

FTER  spending  some  clays  sight-seeing  abont  Calcutta,  and  after 
witnessing  a  fine  display  of  the  Indian  tactics  at  a  bril- 
liant military  tournament,  it  was  with  pleasure  that  we 
boarded  a  coach  on  the  East  Bengal  Railway,  and,  crossing 
the  Ganges  at  Damookdea,  resumed  our  journey  by  the 
North  Bengal  State  Railwa}-  mitil  we  reached  Siliguri,  where 
the  Himalayan  Railway  was  taken,  which  has  a  gauge  of  only 
two  feet,  and  which  is  the  most  wonderful  piece  of  engineering 
in  the  world,  not  excepting  the  railway  up  the  Pilatus,  near  Luzerne,  Switzerland, 
or  the  one  running  up  Mount  Washington,  in  Xew  Hampshire.  The  locomotives 
are  sturdy  little  engines  weighing  ten  tons.  Each  open  carriage  holds  six  in 
comfortable  arm  chairs,  and  the  railwa}'  is  a  light  tram,  the  rail  weighing  about 
forty  pounds  a  yard.  The  four-wheeled  bogies  wind  in  and  out  along  the  hill- 
sides, running  at  times  excitingly  near  the  edge  of  tremendous  gorges  and 
precipices,  assuming  the  shape  of  the  letter  S  for  two-thirds  of  the  journey.  At 
one  place  the  train  crosses  a  bridge,  which  a  moment  afterward  it  runs  under, 
and  rising  again  the  line  makes  a  complete  figure  eight. 

Scenery  and    Vegetation. 

On  this  toy  railwa}'  you  are  now  passing  through  dense  primeval  forests,  now 
you  look  out  upon  dark  green  tea  gardens,  that  spread  for  miles  along  the  slopes 
of  the  mountains.  A  moment  afterward  you  are  looking  thousands  of  feet  below 
you  upon  the  vast  fertile  plain  of  Bengal,  the  meandering  rivers  rolling  through 
it,  flashing  like  molten  silver  in  the  sunlight,  and  further  on,  as  the  train  commences 
to  make  the  steeper  ascent,  you  are  carried  through  jungles  of  cane  fifty  or  sixty 
feet  high,  grasses  that  shoot  their  blades  fifteen  feet  and  seed-stalks  twenty-five  feet 
from  the  ground,  with  great  feathery  tops. 

As  the  ascent  is  made  it  is  interesting  to  notice  how  the  vegetation  changes. 
For  the  first  three  thousand  feet  oaks,  banyans,  mimosas,  acacias,  fig,  india-rubber 
and  the  giant  bamboo,  .sixty  feet  high,  w^th  .stalks  as  thick  as  a  man's  thigh,  are 
seen  in  every  bend  of  the  serpentine  road.  About  four  thousand  feet  above  the 
plain  the  spreading  chestnut  and  the  blooming  almond  and  mango  trees  come  in 
sight,  and  now  you  come  into  a  wilderness  of  graceful  Himalayan  tree  ferns  from 
fifteen  to  twenty-five  feet  high. 

(197) 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


199 


The  riountaineers. 

The  attention  is  now  divided  between  the  natural  scenery,  which  is  becoming 
transcendently  grand,  and  the  new  tj-pes  of  people  that  gaze  from  the  doors  of 
their  dirt  shanties  or  lie  about  smoking  iron  pots  hanging  over  the  fire  on  tripods, 
quite  in  gipsy  style,  partaking  of  their  midday  meal.  By  the  dress,  physiognomy 
and  figure  three  nationalities  could  be  easily  distinguished — the  people  from  Thibet, 
Nepal  and  Cashmere — which  countries  are  separated  from  this  part  of  Northern 
India  by  the  Himalayan  mountains. 

The  men  were  all  armed  with  long  sword-like  knives,  carried  in  their 
belts   which   support   their  single  garments.      The  women,    with    their  brilliant 

costume  and  more  brilliant  ear,  nose 
and  toe  rings,  are  more  attractive- 
looking  than  their  southern  sisters, 
and  the  children  wear  no  artificial 
adornment  except  rings  about  their 
ears,  noses  and  ankles. 

The  wild  country  through  which 
we  passed  abounds  in  ferocious  animals, 
and  our  talkative  conductor  has  just 
given  us  a  description  of  a  great 
Bengal  tiger  that  was  .seen  lying  near 
the  railroad  track,  and  as  the  train 
approached  him  he  leisurely  arose, 
quietly  gave  a  parting  glance  at  the 
nois}'  engine  and  disappeared  in  the 
thick  jungles. 

Approaching   Darjeeling. 

When  the  ascension  is  very  steep 

and  the  curves  are  sharp  we  can  see 

from  our  coach,    near    the    rear,  two 

natives    sitting    on    the    cow-catcher 

sprinkling  sand  on  the  rails  to  prevent 

the  busy  little  wheels  from  slipping,  and  while  passing  over  the  many  horseshoe 

turns  about  the  cliffs  we  frequently  find  ourselves  exactly  opposite  the  scarlet- 

turbaned  man  at  the  throttle  of  the  engine. 

We  wind  in  and  out,  around  and  about,  up  and  down,  and  as  our  snake- 
twisting  train  passes  the  white  board  that  marks  seven  thousand  feet  above  the 
sea  level,  the  puffing  little  m.achine  at  the  front,  which  has  fought  bravely  andean 
claim  a  noble  victory,  sends  forth  a  shout  of  triumph.     Sweeping  around  a  sudden 


A    I,EPCHA    MAN. 


(,200) 


DAKJKELING    RAILWAY. 


WITH   EYES    WIDE   OPEN. 


20 1 


turn,  we  see  the  hundreds  of  white  houses  of  Darjeeling  perched  upon  the  sides 
of  the  Himalayas  as  if  they  had  been  dumped  from  the  floating  sheets  of  clouds 
abo.e,  and,  lifted  far  over  tier  after  tier  of  moving  sky  vapors,  which  hide  from 
view  over  twenty  thousand  feet  of  the  range,  the  sunlit,  snow-crowned  Kinchin- 
junga  stands  forth  like  the  pearl-white  palace  of  the  king  of  kings  in  the  heaven 
of  heavens.  Words  seem  quite  inadequate  to  describe  the  stupendous  magnifi- 
cence of  the  view  as  we  entered  Darjeeling,  which  signifies   "up  in  the  clouds." 

The  "  Halls  of  Snow." 

It  is  located  at  the  end  of  a  long  wooded  spur  of  Sinchul,  a  mountain  about 
nine  thousand  feet  high,  and  from  the  peak  near  my  hotel  the  eye  sweeps  over  a 
perfect  amphitheatre,  resting  in  turn 
upon  the  snow  summits  of  Janu, 
twent3'-five  thousand  and  three  hun- 
dred feet  above  Calcutta;  Kabur, 
twentj'-four  thousand ;  Pandim , twenty- 
two  thousand;  Chomiamo,  twentj^-four 
thousand  and  six  hundred,  and  then 
a  succession  of  unnamed  mountains, 
which  lead  on  to  Donkhia,  twenty-six 
thousand,  and  towering  above  all  of 
them,  whose  irregular  snow  roofs  can 
alone  be  seen,  is  the  Kinchinjunga, 
which  is  more  than  twenty -eight  thou- 
sand feet  in  height. 

In  the  valleys  of  these  mount- 
ains, which  stretch  in  a  chain  of 
over  two  hundred  miles  in  extent, 
are  unbroken  successions  of  snow 
fields  and  glaciers,  and  in  the  centre 
of  the  whole  range  rises  the  hoary  monarch  just  spoken  of,  whose  dazzling 
crown  is  lifted  more  than  five  miles  over  the  plain  of  Bengal. 

In  the  early  morning  I  was  disappointed  to  find  Kinchinjunga  buried  under 
a  thick  mass  of  cloud,  but  my  disappointment  lasted  only  for  a  short  time.  As 
the  rising  sun  gathered  strength,  arrows  of  light  pierced  the  vapory  nightrobe  of 
the  sleeping  giant;  a  glow  of  glory  rested  upon  the  snows,  changing  into  mingled 
gold,  ruby  and  purple,  and  as  the  king  of  day  kissed  the  white-turbaned  peaks 
good  morning  a  bright  smile  spread  from  summit  to  sunnuit,  and,  leaping  down 
the  stairway  of  snow,  the  early  morning  light  spread  a  veil  of  gold  upon  the  dewy 
lap  of  the  valle}' s. 


A     I.l-.i'i^HA     W'O.MAX. 


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(2021 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


20.- 


nount  Everest. 

To  see  Mount  Everest,  tli2  highest  mountain  in  the  world,  is  the  supreme 
desire  of  every  one  who  visits  Darjeeling,  and  in  order  to  have  this  pleasure  one 
must  take  an  early  morning  ride  to  Tiger  Hill,  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  and 
frequently  after  taking  the  ride  the  desired  object  is  not  attained. 

Accompanied  by  two  gentlemen  and  one  lady  I  took  the  trip  about  daybreak, 
and  we  all  agreed  that  this  delightful  ride  up  the  Himalayas  (which  means,  in 
Sanskrit,  "  Halls  of  Snow  " )  amply  repaid  us  for  the  inconvenience  of  rising  so 
early  on  a  cold  morning,  although  we  might  not  see  the  king  of  mountains. 


A    RCSTIC   SCENE   IN   IXDIA— BUFFALO    PI^OWING 


Our  path,  at  times,  led  about  the  mountain  ranges,  with  only  a  few  feet 
between  the  perpendicular  granite  walls  and  the  gorges  of  thousands  of  feet  in 
depth;  but  our  sure-footed  little  ponies,  with  the  exception  of  one  slight  accident 
did  their  work  well,  and  in  due  time  we  were  standing  on  Tiger  Hill,  two  thou- 
sand feet  above  Darjeeling.  A  deep  mist  enveloped  us,  and  after  straining  our 
eyes  in  vain  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  part  of  our  globe  that  reaches  nearest  to  the 
skies  we  were  about  to  descend,  when  our  lad}-  companion,  whose  intuitions  are 


20X 


AROmW   THE    WORLD 


worthy  of  her  superior  sex,  insisted  upon  a  dela}^  declaring  that  there  would  be  a 
break  in  the  mist}'  clouds,  and  we  would  be  rewarded  shortly.  Of  course  she  was 
right,  and  of  course  we  were  wise  in  following  the  lady's  advice. 

Far  out  and   up  in  the  direction  where  our  guide  said  Mount  Everest  was 
located  a  brightness  appeared,  then  a  patch  of  blue,  and  as  speechlessly  we  watched 


DARJEEI.ING  BAZAAR  TYPES. 


for  the  appearance  the  pure  dome  of  Mount  Everest,  29,000  feet  above  the  sea, 
stood  against  the  deep  blue  sky,  unsupported,  apparently,  by  any  base;  and  a 
moment  afterward  it  was  wrapped  again  in  the  clouds.  The  picture  is  as 
impossible  to  forget  as  it  is  impossible  to  paint. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  205 

Himalayan  Tea. 

Accepting  the  invitation  of  an  English  gentleman,  I  visited  his  tea  plantation 
and  factory,  and  from  his  gardens,  covering  about  two  hundred  acres,  I  was 
informed  he  ships  over  fifty  thousand  pounds  of  tea  leaves  every  year.  This  tea, 
in  the  Himalayas,  has  a  distinct  flavor  of  its  own,  and  with  the  exception  of  that 
tasted  in  Ceylon,  I  have  found  none  so  delicious  as  this. 

The  peoples  that  are  found  in  these  mountains  are  of  peculiar  interest.  The 
L/epchas,  of  the  Sikkini  race,  who  have  no  religious  rites;  the  Limboos,  whose 
out-door  temples  are  seen  on  the  hill-tops;  the  Moormis,  of  large  stature  and 
originally  from  Thibet;  the  Nepaulese  and  Cashmere  people,  with  short,  stout 
frames,  and  the  long-haired,  unnamed  men  of  the  hills,  present  types  and  habits 
of  mankind  that  cannot  but  elicit  attention  and  interest. 

A  Native  Bazaar. 

The  native  bazaar  here  in  Darjeeling  is  one  of  the  sights  of  the  place,  and  at 
noon  the  noise  of  the  peddlers  and  more  important  tradesmen  can  be  heard  for 
squares  away. 

The  old  saying  that  "  it  takes  two  to  make  a  bargain  "  does  not  apply  here,, 
for  before  a  trade  is  closed  scores  of  merry  women  and  children  gather  about  3'ou, 
shouting,  pushing  and  gesticulating  like  so  many  lunatics. 

The  open  market-place  is  crowded  with  traders,  many  of  whom  have  come 
from  Thibet,  Cashmere  and  further  distances,  and  heterogeneous  assortments  of 
goods,  consisting  of  brass  Buddhas,  ironmongery,  pottery,  skins,  flashing  jewelrj^ 
coins,  curios  of  everj^  description,  besides  tamed  snakes,  birds  and  monkeys,  are 
offered  for  remarkably  low  prices.  To  stand  on  an  eminence  overlooking  this 
bazaar,  and  watch  the  brilliantly  colored  costumes  and  excited  manners  of  the 
people  as  they  mingle  in  a  great  labyrinth  of  noisy  confusion,  is  a  wonderfully 
interesting  study. 

The  most  attractive  person  in  all  the  throng  is  the  Bhutia  woman,  with  a 
great  circlet  round  her  head  formed  of  large  beads  of  coral  and  turquoise,  four 
necklaces  of  amber,  agate,  coral  and  moonstones;  enormous  ear-rings,  pulling 
down  the  lobes  of  the  ears,  and  a  massive  silver  girdle  about  her  loosely  worn 
garment,  with  hanging  ornaments  like  a  chatelaine.  After  all,  is  not  the  most 
charming  creature  in  every  land  a — woman  ? 

On   an  Indian  Railway. 

A  sleeping-car  on  an  oriental  railway  is  death  to  aristocratic  airs.  The  early 
morning  (the  tourist  jo3'fully  rises  with  the  sun)  finds  his  meekness  only  exceeded 
by  his  shabbiness,  and  during  the  long,  long  night  how  often  does  he  wish  that  he 


a! 
•< 
<; 

< 

O 
z 

M 

w 
w 


I 


(206) 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  207 

was  sleeping  amidst  the  jungles  through  which  he  is  passing,  instead  of  tossing 
up  and  down,  round  and  round,  over  and  over,  in  this  wabbling,  rattling,  snorting, 
creaking  thing  that  is  carrying  him  ten  or  fifteen  miles  an  hour. 

I  am  sure  that  the  Indian  sleeping-car  possesses  a  patent  of  its  own,  and  that 
it  has  never  been  duplicated  is  a  blessing  to  that  part  of  humanity  that  does 
not  enjoy  the  nightmare  while  taking  nocturnal  trips  through  this  country. 

The  car  itself  is  a  wonder  in  inconvenient  workmanship.  When  it  remains 
still  long  enough  to  be  measured,  you  find  that  it  measures  about  ten  by  six  feet, 
contains  four  indescribable  affairs  called  beds — two  stationary  and  two  hanging  in 
a  threatening  manner  from  above  by  leather-covered  ropes;  is  lit  by  a  single 
flickering  light  that  is  too  dim  to  read  by  and  too  bright  to  sleep  by,  and  is  entered 
bj' the  tourist  through  a  side  door,  which  is  often  too  narrow  for  the  bundle  of 
Ijedclothes  that  the  railroad  kindly  allows  him  to  furnish. 

In  an   Indian  5leeping  Car, 

Having  as  my  companion  during  the  first  night  out  on  my  way  to  the 
mountains  of  India  a  bright,  congenial  fellow  from  the  ' '  City  of  Brotherly  Eove, ' ' 
the  trip  was  crowded  with  incidents,  some  of  which  were  very  laughable  several 
days  after  they  happened. 

Far  in  the  dark  night  it  turned  suddenly  very  chilly,  and  we  were  aroused  to 
£nd  everything  in  a  stiff  gale,  and  fearing  that  the  monkeys  in  the  jungles  would 
have  the  joy  of  appearing  next  day  in  some  of  our  garments,  we  arose  to  seize 
them  in  the  midst  of  their  wild  career  as  they  danced  in  the  whirlwind,  and  to  our 
surprise  we  found  that  our  door  was  swinging  wide  open,  and  from  the  mountains 
the  cold  air  was  sweeping  through  the  car  from  door  to  window  and  window  to 
door. 

These  sleeping-cars  encourage  domestic  economj^  in  that  they  require  j'ou  to 
■carry  about  with  you  all  the  bedclothing  that  3'ou  use,  and  make  up  your  own  bed 
when  you  desire  to  use  it!  As  my  good-natured  friend  possessed  a  passion  for 
:such  art,  and  as  it  is  my  creed  that  every  one  should  be  encouraged  in  developing 
liis  talent  in  any  given  direction,  I  allowed  him  to  practice  on  my  bed;  but  when 
the  time  came  to  blow  up  my  newly  patented  air-pillow,  then  came  the  tug-of-war! 
We  blew  into  that  perversely  empty  pillow  by  turns  until  our  heads  grew  dizzy 
and  we  seemed  to  be  blowing  our  brains  out;  but  as  we  held  it  up  after  every 
windstorm,  it  resembled  in  diameter  a  pancake  rather  than  a  pillow. 

At  last,  my  companion,  thinking,  perhaps,  that  it  was  not  worth  while  to  put 
on  airs  while  trying  to  put  in  air,  assumed  an  attitude  of  strength  rather  than  of 
grace,  and  turning  himself  into  a  veritable  bellows,  inflated  the  pillow  to  an 
enormous  size  and  uncomfortable  tightness,  which  he  now  handed  to  me  with  an 
air  of  triumph. 


2o8  AROUND    THE    WORLD 

Crossing  the  riountains. 

In  the  morning  we  expected  a  scene  of  desolation  to  greet  us,  as  we  would 
be  in  the  mountains,  but,  as  we  looked  through  the  windows,  everything  was 
green.  Not  only  the  trees  and  grass,  but  our  eyes  could  not  rest  upon  anything 
that  was  not  green — green  birds,  green  cows,  green  pigs,  green  goats,  green  ducks, 
green  skies,  and,  stranger  still  (a  sight  w^hich  we  look  for  in  vain  in  our  countr}-), 
green  men  and  women! 

What  kind  of  country  is  this,  anyhow  ?  In  mute  wonder  we  gazed  upon  the 
green  panorama,  fearing  to  speak  lest  we  exposed  our  greenness. 

In  a  few  moments  the  window  pane  was  dropped,  and  the  verdant  delusion 
came  to  an  end.  The  windows  were  of  green-colored  glass,  and  the  greenness, 
alas,  was  not  outside,  but  inside  of  the  car! 

Deliberateness  to  a  painful  degree  is  the  dominant  characteristic  of  these 
trains,  especially  in  Northern  India. 

While  riding  horseback  with  a  party  near  Darjeeling,  the  cars  were  seen 
approaching  us,  and  the  steed  of  one  of  the  young  men  became  unmanageable, 
and  succeeded  in  getting  away  from  the  rider,  who  had  dismounted.  The  engineer 
stopped  his  train  and  the  brakeman  caught  the  horse,  which  had  run  some  distance 
away  1 

Slow  Progress. 

While  on  a  railroad  near  the  boundary  line  of  India  and  Assam,  the  conductor 
was  asked  why  there  were  not  more  collisions,  as  there  was  only  a  single  track. 
"  The  reason  is  very  simple,"  he  replied;    "  we  have  only  one  engine." 

To  pass  away  the  time  during  a  tedious  delay  of  the  train  in  the  walds  of 
Assam,  my  friend  from  Philadelphia  and  I  tossed  small  coins  in  the  grass,  and  the 
violent  scramble  that  followed  on  the  part  of  the  natives  w^as  a  remarkable  sight. 
I  counted  sixty-seven  grown  men  struggling  in  a  heap  over  a  coin  valued  at  about 
one-half  of  our  cent. 

When  the  amusement  became  a  little  monotonous,  I  exclaimed,  "  Is  it  not 
time  for  us  to  be  going,  or  what  causes  the  long  delaj^  ?' '  A  gentleman  near  me 
said,  "  Yonder  is  the  engineer  scrambling  with  those  other  men  for  the  coin  just 
thrown  out,"  and  sure  enough,  there  he  was,  with  his  firemen,  in  the  midst  of  the 
melee. 

In  order  to  test  the  speed  of  these  fast-running  Assamese,  I  placed  a  man 
with  a  few  coins  in  his  hand  about  two  hundred  yards  from  a  group  of  fift}-  or 
sixty  men,  and  told  them  that  the  first  who  reached  the  holder  of  the  money 
could  have  it.  At  the  drop  of  the  handkerchief  they  all  started,  but  what  was  my 
surprise  when  I  saw  the  man  to  whom  had  been  given  the  coins  to  hold,  just 
before  the  swiftest  runner  reached  him,  turn  about  and  run  off"  with  the  bag. 


;lo 


AROUND    THE   \VORI.D 


On  a  Sacred  River, 

Our  trip  up  the  sacred  Brahmapootra  ("  Sou  of  Brahma  ")  River  on  our  way 
into  Assam  was  most  dehghtful  in  every  respect.  It  is  impossible  to  bridge  this 
river,  as  it  changes  its  course  so  often,  and  the  most  expert  native  pilots  are 
employed  to  guide  the  steamers  through  the  treacherous  channels. 

Wild  animals  of  nearly  everj^  description  abound  in  the  thick  jungles  on 
either  side  of  the  stream,  and  alligators,  storks,  cranes  and  quantities  of  many- 
colored  birds  are  seen  as  we  near  Dhubri. 

One  of  the  most  noted  rajahs  in  the  country'  has  his  magnificent  palace  in 
this  neighborhood,  and  as  he  keeps  150  elephants  solely  for  hunting  purposes,  he 
is  very  popular  with  English  huntsmen.  A  hunting  party  is  being  formed  this 
week,  and  one  of  the  sportsmen  told  me  that  if  they  were  as  successful  as  when 
they  last  went  out,  a  number  of  tiger  skins  would  be  carried  home  by  the  party. 

In  a  Dak  Bungalow. 

My  nights  in 
Assam  are  spent  in 
what  is  known  as  a 
dak  bungalow,  which 
is  built  and  owned 
by  the  government, 
and  as  these  bunga- 
lows are  located  in 
places  out  of  the 
usual  route  of  travel, 
they  are  great  conve- 
niences to  government 
officials  who  must 
traverse  the  land  from 
one  end  to  the  other, 
and  to  tourists  w^ho 
desire  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  places  and  peoples  untouched  by  civilization. 

These  one-floor  buildings  are  in  charge  of  natives,  who  present  to  each  guest 
a  book,  in  which  he  enters  the  time  of  arrival  and  departure,  and  on  the  opposite 
place  is  a  blank  space  for  ' '  remarks. ' ' 

The  column  of ' '  remarks  ' '  shows  the  varied  characters  of  the  persons  who  have 
rested  under  the  low  roof  of  this  forest  hotel.  A  certain  Delia  Sjanonds,  shocked 
at  the  frivolity  of  the  dak  bungalow  library,  which  consisted  of  a  few  broken- 
backed  novels  and  a  pile  of  dry  magazines  and  weekly  papers,  delivered  herself, 


DANDY,    DARJEELING,    INDTA. 


WITH   WIDE   OPEN   EYES. 


211 


too  many   novels  for  the  good   morals  of  the  public."     This  could  not  be    left 
unnoticed. 

The  next  person  who  made  his  remarks  was  evidently  of  a  different  frame  of 
mind  from  Miss  Delia,  and  his  entry  proves  that  he  was  much  more  of  a  wag  than 
a  poet: 

' '  If  fair  Delia  here  would  stay 
Our  faulty  morals  to  better, 
I'm  sure  we  all  should  say 

That  we'd  gladlj'  be  her  debtor. 
Bad  books  no  more  we'd  peruse, 

Enchained  by  her  charms  so  entrancing, 
The  bad  boy,  poor  chap,  he  would  lose, 
While  we  to  glory  should  be  dancing.' 

A  new  deputy  commissioner  writes  under  this:  "  Travelers  are  reminded  that 
the  remark  column  is  not  designed  with  the  view  of  affording  them  an  opportunity 
of  firing  off  brilliant  flashes  of  wit  or  recording  mawkish  expressions  of  cant." 

Fearing  that  I  might  break  one  or  the  other  of  these  governmental  prohibi- 
tions, I  refrained  from  making  a  "  remark." 

In  these  parts  it  is  impossible  from  the  clocks  in  use  to  tell  the  time  of  day  or 
night  unless  you  perform  mental  gymnastics  equal  to  working  a  problem  in 
calculus.  I  was  awakened  last  night  by  the  unearthly  sound  of  a  clock  striking 
twenty-seven,  and  next  morning  when  I  asked  for  an  explanation  and  expressed 
a  desire  to  know  how  I  could  tell  the  time  by  this  erratic  timepiece,  the  solution 
given  me  called  to  mind  a  certain  clock  that  served  a  purpose,  if  you  remembered 
that  when  the  long  hand  was  at  quarter  after  twelve  and  the  short  hand  half-past 
eight  it  was  going  on  to  ten  o'clock. 


'X 


X 


(212, 


CHAPTER   XI. 

BENARES   ON   THE    GANGES. 

HESE  words  are  written  in  a  city  that  is  supposed  by  many  histo- 
rians to  be  the  oldest  known  habitation  of  man  on  earth.  Five 
and  twenty  centuries  ago,  when  Rome  was  not  yet  on  the  records 
of  the  world,  and  when  Athens  was  in  its  infant  splendor,  Benares, 
on  the  noble  Ganges,  exerted  a  mighty  power  and  her  fame  was 
established  among  men.  Here  the  great  Buddha  proclaimed  his 
doctrines  first,  sending  forth  missionaries  from  this  centre  to  Ce3'lon,  China,  Japan, 
Burmah  and  Thibet,  bringing,  in  time,  nearly  half  the  race  of  man  under  the 
influence  of  his  teachings.  But  centuries  afterward,  during  a  powerful  religious 
and  political  upheaval.  Buddhism  succumbed  to  Brahmanism,  leaving  behind  only 
the  ruins  of  its  topes  and  temples.  And  to-day,  what  Mecca  is  to  the  Moham- 
medan, Jerusalem  to  the  Christian,  Benares  is  to  the  Hindu. 

The  cit}'  is  located  along  the  crest  of  a  hill  over  one  hundred  feet  above  the 
sacred  Ganges.  For  three  miles  on  the  sloping  west  bank,  palaces,  temples  and 
mosques,  surmounted  by  domes,  pinnacles  and  minarets,  rear  their  irregular  tops. 
Giant  flights  of  stone  stairs,  interrupted  b}^  wide  platforms,  on  which  are  built 
shrines  of  every  description,  reach  to  the  water,  and  on  the  edges  of  the  bank  are 
bathing  ghats,  which  are  crowded  with  pilgrims  from  every  part  of  India  and  from 
other  countries,  in  every  stage  of  dress  and  undress,  whose  supreme  desire  is  tc 
plunge  into  these  holy  waters  before  death  overtakes  them. 

Hindu  Pilgrims. 

These  pilgrims  are  not  all  from  the  lower  or  middle  classes,  but  include  every 
rank  of  Indian  society,  from  the  elaborately  dressed  rajahs,  followed  by  long 
retinues  of  attendants,  to  the  unsightly  looking  ashes-covered  fakir  and  the 
miserable  deformed  beggar,  and  from  the  little  boys  and  girls  to  the  aged  grand- 
fathers, lifted  by  bearers  to  the  stream,  all  bent  upon  dipping  in  the  mother 
Ganges  for  the  remission  of  their  sins. 

The  private  boat  of  a  rich  rajah  was  anchored  at  one  of  the  ghats,  and  a 
covered  canopy,  which  extended  to  the  bank,  hid  him  and  his  wife  from  view  as 
they  went  through  their  religious  ablutions. 

I  noticed  that  many  of  the  women  and  girls  carried  wreaths  of  white  and 
yellow   flowers  into  the   river,    and   as   they  most  devoutly   turned   their   faces 

(213) 


214  AROUND   THE   WORLD. 

toward  the  rising  sun  and  inaudiblj^  whispered  their  prayers,  the  garlands  were 
broken  in  pieces  and  scattered  upon  the  river. 

Hundreds  of  these  devotees  were  seen  with  brass  jars  and  other  vessels,  in 
which  they  carry  away  to  their  distant  homes  some  of  the  holy  water,  and 
employes  of  the  temples,  from  Central  and  Southern  India,  were  there  with  their 
leather  water-bags,  which  were  to  be  filled  and  borne  on  the  backs  of  the 
pedestrians  for  scores  and  scores  of  miles  to  their  houses  of  worship. 

The  thoughtful  man,  it  matters  not  what  may  be  his  religious  predilections, 
has  no  disposition  to  sneer  at  these  worshipers,  who  freely  and  quietly  give  their 
time  and  money  to  what  they  sincerely  believe  to  be  true;  which  fact  presents  a 
striking  contrast  to  the  loud  professions  and  selfish,  covetous  lives  of  not  a  few 
church-goers  in  Christian  lands. 

Along  the  river  bank  there  are  not  less  than  fifty  of  these  ghats,  which  have 
for  their  background  magnificent  flights  of  steps  leading  up  to  imposing  castles 
and  palaces,  great  white  mosques  and  soaring  minarets. 

The  Pauchganga  ghat,  where  five  rivers  are  supposed  to  meet  underground, 
leads  to  the  noble  mosque  which  the  iconoclast,  Aurangzeb,  built  on  the  site  of 
the  noted  Krishna  temple  which  he  destroyed. 

This  is  the  finest  mosque  in  Benares,  the  foundations  of  which  rise  from  the 
bed  of  the  river  in  huge  stone  breastworks,  which  support  the  four  walls  and 
domes  of  the  mosque,  and  springing  lightly  in  the  air  are  two  graceful  minarets, 
lifting  the  whole  structure  three  hundred  feet  above  the  swarm  of  bathers  at  the 
water's  edge. 

In  sailing  up  the  river  I  passed  the  ghat  where  Vishnu  dug  his  famous  well, 
where  Brahma  made  his  celebrated  sacrifice  of  ten  horses,  the  Golden  Temple,  and 
many  other  spots  that  have  made  the  city  known  the  world  over. 

The  Burning  Ghat. 

In  the  midst  of  these  places  of  worship  is  located  the  Burning  Ghat,  where 
bodies  are  brought  from  all  over  India  to  be  bathed  in  the  Ganges,  and  then 
cremated  on  its  banks. 

Smoke  from  four  pyres  was  seen  as  we  approached  the  ghat,  and  several 
corpses,  wrapped  in  white  cloth,  and  lashed  between  two  stout  sticks,  were  being 
washed  in  the  sacred  stream,  while  the  relatives  of  the  dead  were  preparing  the 
wood,  near  by,  for  the  cremation. 

Bedecked  with  flowers,  and  sometimes  wearing  jewelry,  the  bodies  are  lam 
between  layers  of  wood,  the  ashes  are  cast  into  the  water,  and  we  saw  a  number 
of  men  at  work  who  make  a  regular  business  of  searching  the  shore  and  filtering 
the  water  through  baskets  in  search  of  jewels  or  money  that  perchance  might 
have  dropped  from  the  dead. 


< 


o 
g 

z 

as 

D 
?5 


I215i 


2l6 


AROUND    THK    WORLD. 


What  a  comment  on  humanity — the  religious  devotee,  the  fakir,  the  beggar, 
the  mourner,  the  stiff  corpse  and  the  money-grabber  (who  is  always  and  everj-- 
where  on  hand),  mingled  together  in  the  holy  city  on  the  sacred  river. 

A   rionkey   Temple. 

One  of  the  most  curious  places  visited  was  the  Durga,  or  Monkey  Temple. 
Durga  is  thought  to  delight  in  all  kinds  of  bloodshed  and  destruction,  and  while  I 
watched  the  worshipers,  a  man  approached  the  blood-bedabbled  altar  in  front  of 

the  shrine,  and,  having  placed  a  num- 
ber of  coins  in  the  hands  of  the  offi- 
ciating priest,  was  given  the  privilege 
of  having  a  little  kid  that  he  held 
under  his  arm  beheaded,  and  after  the 
oharp  blade  had  descended,  he  made 
an  offering  of  the  head  and  carried  the 
body  awa}-  to  his  home. 

In  the  yards  and  trees  about  the 
lemple  are  hosts  of  monkeys,  who 
spring  into  3'our  pathway,  peer  round 
the  walls,  snatch  at  your  clothes  and 
.nake  the  most  comical  grimaces  at 
you  on  the  least  provocation,  but  it  is 
a  crime  to  molest  them,  for  they  are 
gods  and  goddesses,  held  in  the  high- 
est veneration. 

I  could  hardly  suppress  an  irre- 
ligious laugh  as  I  watched  one  of 
these  goddesses,  holding  a  baby  god 
under  her  left  arm,  while  she  held  a 
nut  in  her  right  hand,  on  which  she 
was  nibbling  in  the  most  human 
fashion,  and  during  the  performance  she  was  making  the  most  unholy  faces  at  me 
because  of  my  inferiorit}'. 

What  the  monkey  is  to  Vishnu  the  cow  and  bull  are  to  Siva.  To  slaughter 
these  animals  is  a  horrible  crime,  and  in  everj^  part  of  India  can  be  found  temples 
dedicated  to  their  honor,  where  they  are  kept  wath  the  greatest  care. 

The  "Holy  Man." 

One  of  the  curiosities  of  humanity  is  the  "  holy  man  of  Benares,"  whom  I 
visited  last  evening.      His  long-continued  acts  of  penance  have  worn  his  body  to 


A    MOUNTAIN    MUSICIAN,    INDIA. 


(217) 


2lS 


AROUND   THE    WORLD 


skin   and   bones.     He  is  thought  b}^  many  to  be  above  all  passion  and  sin;  he 
declines  to  receive  anything  from  visitors,  and   his  bright  eyes,  sweet  expression 

and  soft  voice  seem 
to  indicate  that  he  pos- 
s  esses  a  serenity  in 
life  that  is  enjoyed  by 
few.  On  leaving  him 
he  presented  me  with  a 
book  containing  his  fa- 
vorite studies.  As  I 
have  not  3^et  finished 
pronouncing  the  au- 
thor's name  on  the  first 
page,  I  am  not  pre- 
pared to  pass  an  opinion 
on  the  merits  of  the 
work.  It  is  written 
by  Matparamahausa- 
parinrajakacharyaswa- 
mibhaskaranandasaras- 
wati!  I  am  doubtful 
whether  penance  or  pro- 
nunciation caused  the 
thinness  of  the  ' '  hoh' 
man  of  Benares,"  for 
after  my  frantic  efforts 
to  pronounce  the  name 
of  this  distinguished 
author  I  feel  that  I 
weigh  less!  Perhaps 
the  celebrated  anti-fat 
preparation  is  an  ex- 
tract from  this  tire- 
somename,  whose 
owner  died  of  exhaustion,  and   whose  owner's  disciple   is  growing  thinner  and 

thinner  every  day. 

In  the  Bazaars. 

To  those  who  enjoy  examining  curios  and  artistic  manufactures  the  bazaars  of 
Benares  will  prove  to  be  especiall}^  attractive.  The  city  is  famous  for  its  beauti- 
fully engraved  brasswork,  and  trays,  water  ves.sels,  bowls,  lotus  dishes,  candle-sticks, 


HOI,Y    MAN. 


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220  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

lamps,  fancy  boxes,  bells,  spoons  and  scores  of  other  utensils,  engraved  most  exqui- 
sitely, can  be  purchased  for  remarkably  cheap  prices. 

Rich  brocades  wrought  with  figures  of  animals  in  gold  and  variegated  colors, 
the  oldest  survival  of  ancient  loomwork  extant  and  the  finest  of  its  kind  in  the 
world,  are  found  in  the  tiny  shops  in  the  bazaars,  and  this  beautiful  work  is  done 
by  experts  who  receive  about  three  or  four  dollars  a  week. 

When  a  piece  is  finished  it  is  "worth  its  weight  in  gold,"  but  the  poor 
fellow  whose  genius  created  the  masterpiece  lives  and  dies  in  poverty,  while  some 
merchant  in  Europe  or  America  gets  the  "  weight  in  gold." 

Some  of  these  brilliantly  figured  brocades  bring  to  mind  the  description  of 
Ulysses'  dress,  as  given  in  the  nineteenth  book  of  the  Odyssey: 

"  In  ample  mode 
A  robe  of  militar}-  purple  flowed 
O'er  all  his  frame,  illustrious  on  his  breast 
The  double-clasping  gold  the  king  confest. 
In  the  rich  woof  a  hound,  mosaic  drawn, 
Bore  on  full  stretch  and  seized  a  dappled  fawn; 
Deep  in  his  neck  his  fangs  indent  their  hold; 
They  pant  and  struggle  in  the  moving  gold. 
Fine  as  a  filmy  web  beneath  it  shone 
A  vest  that  dazzled  like  a  cloudless  sun." 

An  Elegy  in  riarble. 

In  Hearing  Agra  and  Delhi  we  were  soon  to  look  upon  the  most  superb 
monument  ever  reared  to  woman  and  the  most  magnificent  palace  in  the  world. 
From  every  elevated  point  of  view  in  and  around  Agra,  this  city  of  castles  and 
palaces,  can  be  seen  the  shining  domes  and  minarets  of  the  Taj  Mahal,  the  most 
beautiful  tomb  and  one  of  the  most  renowned  buildings  in  the  world.  It  was 
erected  during  the  first  half  of  the  seventeenth  century  by  Shah  Jehan  for  the 
body  of  his  wife,  Arjamand  Banu,  and  history  tells  us  that  it  required  twenty 
thousand  workmen  to  labor  twenty-two  5'ears  and  necessitated  an  expenditure  of 
four  million  pounds  sterling  before  it  was  completed.  It  was  the  ambition  of  the 
great  Mogul  Emperor  to  erect  the  most  superb  monument  ever  reared  to  commem- 
orate a  woman's  name,  and  the  verdict  of  the  ages  is  not  only  that  his  purpose 
was  fulfilled,  but  that  in  this  eifort  to  translate  his  loyal  and  royal  love  into, 
marble,  Mohammedan  architecture  reached  its  climax  and  the  world  was  enriched 
by  the  most  perfect  poem  in  stone. 

Passing  over  a  road  amidst  the  ruins  of  many  ancient  palaces,  you  stand 
before  a  gateway  of  red  sandstone,  inlaid  with  floral  designs  and  passages  from  the 
Koran  in  white  marble.  Through  this  splendid  entrance,  which  is  140  feet  high 
and   no   feet  wide,   you   enter   a   garden  filled  with  palms,   peepuls,   thuja  and 


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pomegranate,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  a  long  tank  of  pure  marble,  reaching  away 
for  three  or  four  hundred  feet,  containing  a  score  of  fountains,  and  the  lovely  vista 
closes  at  the  base  of  the  snow-white  platform  on  which  the  Taj  rests. 

Arjamand's  riausoleum. 

The  building  itself,  i86  feet  square  and  220  feet  high  to  the  top  of  the  dome, 
is  raised  upon  a  plinth  313  feet  square,  18  feet  above  the  level  of  the  garden.  At 
each  corner  of  this  platform  stand  four  tapering  minarets  137  feet  high,  and  at 
each  side  of  the  Taj,  400  feet  back  across  a  great  court  flagged  with  marble,  are 
imposing  mosques  of  red  stone,  richly  decorated  with  mosaics  of  marble,  topped 
with  three  white  domes,  which  are  among  the  finest  in  India. 

The  milk-whiteness  of  this  great  mass  of  marble  is  broken  onh'  bj-  the  car^dng 
and  inlaid  flowers  done  in  precious  stones,  combined  in  wreaths,  scrolls  and  frets, 
which  greet  the  eye  as  you  enter  through  the  wonderful  door. 

The  inner  walls  of  this  burial  place  of  the  loved  Arjamand  are  found  to  be  as 
much  a  marvel  of  subtle  shadow  and  chastened  light,  decked  with  exquisite 
jewelry,  as  the  exterior  is  noble  and  sublime,  and,  as  you  study  panel  by  panel, 
column  by  column,  trellis- work  after  trellis- work,  inlaid  most  gracefully  and 
elaborately  in  jasper,  coral,  bloodstone,  nacre,  onyx,  turquoise,  sardonyx  and  the 
most  precious  gems,  you  are  willing  to  agree  that  the  Moguls  designed  like  giants 
and  finished  like  jewelers. 

Memory  of  Undying  Love. 

Beneath  the  glorious  dome,  in  the  centre  of  the  edifice,  are  two  sarcophagi 
covering  the  spots  in  the  vault  below  w'here  the  ashes  of  the  one  for  whom  the 
tomb  was  built  and  the  builder  of  the  tomb  rest.  At  the  threshold  are  inscribed 
the  words:  "  To  the  memory  of  an  undying  love,"  and  the  Kmperor  has  immor- 
talized, if  he  could  not  preserve  alive  for  one  brief  da}-,  the  one  whom  he  named 
"  Exalted  one  of  the  palace." 

My  first  view  of  the  Taj  was  w^heu  its  pure  dome  was  dazzling  under  the 
bright  sunshine  of  midday,  and  I  was  sure  that  nothing  could  exceed  its  splendor 
and  brilliancy.  My  next  view  was  more  enchanting,  and  the  impression  made 
upon  my  mind  by  this  ghostly  hall  of  death  is  fadeless. 

The  silver  moon,  set  in  a  cloudless  sky,  cast  a  soft  glow  over  the  scene  as  I 
passed  into  the  garden  scented  by  roses  and  jasmine;  the  quiet  shrubs  and  trees 
were  reflected  in  lakes  of  clearest  water,  and  as  I  quietly  sat  on  the  extreme  end 
of  the  snowy  platform  overlooking  the  sacred  Jumna  and  studied  this  masterpiece 
of  love,  my  admiration  and  astonishment  gave  birth  to  the  overpowering  thought 
that  seldom,  if  ever,  in  human  history  has  man's  afiectipns  struggled  so  ardently, 


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passionately  and  triumpliantl}-  against  the  oblivion  of  death  as  in  this  mass  of 
marble  that  is  unmarked  b}^  the  relentless  tooth  of  time. 

The  marble  of  the  structure  came  from  Rajpootana,  the  diamonds  and  jasper 
from  Punjab,  the  carnelians  and  agates  from  Thibet,  the  corals  from  Arabia,  the 
sapphires  and  other  precious  stones  from  Ceylon,  and  the  genius  that  turned  this 
stone  into  "  frozen  music  "  was  the  gift  of  Heaven  to  Austin,  of  Bordeaux,  who, 
driven  by  a  strange  fate  from  Ms  European  home,  was  employed  by  Shah  Jehan 
in  the  erection  of  more  than  one  architectural  monument  by  which  his  name,  as 
the  "  greatest  of  builders,"  has  passed  down  the  ages. 

Reign  of  the  Moguls. 

Here  in  Agra,  as  in  many  other  places  in  India,  have  I  tried  to  study  the 
stupendous  ruins  that  mark  the  places  where  the  great  Mogul  dynasty,  under  its 
different  famous  rulers,  held  absolute  swa}'  over  millions  of  souls,  and  by  this 
debris  of  the  ages  can  you  trace  its  history  from  its  crowning  period,  in  the  time 
of  Babar  the  Eion,  down  to  the  siege  of  Delhi. 

The  Mogul  Humayun,  whose  brilliant  court  was  known  the  world  over,  v\^as 
succeeded  by  his  son  Akbar  the  Great,  who  did  more  than  any  other  to  establish 
the  imperial  system,  during  whose  reign  several  magnificent  palaces  and  strong 
forts  were  built,  and  who  caused  the  gates  of  Chittor  to  be  set  up  at  Agra. 

His  son,  Jehangir,   did  not  greatly  distinguish  himself,   but  his  grandson. 

Shah  Jehan,  who  was  proclaimed  Emperor  at  Agra  iu  1628,  gave  a  new  impetus 

to  architectural  works,  and  during  his  reign  the  Pearl  Mosque,  the  Great  Mosque 

and  the  famous  Khas  Mahal  were  built,  and  the  erection  of  the  Taj  and  other 

tombs  by  him  associate  his  name  with  some  of  the  most  remarkable  and  unique 

structures  in  the  land. 

Palace  at  Delhi. 

The  imperial  palace,  erected  by  this  prince  of  builders  at  Delhi,  is  regarded 
by  many  as  the  most  splendid  palace  in  the  world.  The  area  within  the  massive 
and  lofty  red  sandstone  walls  is  more  than  a  thousand  yards  long  by  five  hundred 
yards  wide,  and  is  entered  by  a  gate  which  is  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  high,  its 
interior  being  a  vaulted  hall  three  hundred  and  seventy -five  feet  long,  resembling 
very  much  a  gigantic  gothic  cathredral. 

Within  the  inclosure  the  first  building  you  reach  is  the  Diwan-i-am  or  public 
hall  or  audience,  a  beautiful  colonnaded  structure  of  red  sandstone  and  inlaid 
marble.  In  the  centre  of  the  back  wall  is  the  royal  throne  and  canopy  of  white 
marble,  decorated  with  bits  of  precious  stones  representing  flowers,  fruits  and  birds. 

The  Dewan-i-Khas,  or  private  hall  of  audience,  is  a  building  of  white  marble, 
ornamented  without  and  within  by  inlaid  work,  and  the  ceiling  is  decorated  richly 
with  gold.     In  the  centre  of  this  hall  stands  a  pure  marble  dais,  on  which  rested 


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226  AROUND   THE   WORLD  . 

the  noted  peacock  throne,  a  seat  between  two  peacocks,  whose  spread  tails  were 
decked  with  sapphires,  diamonds,  rubies,  emeralds  and  other  stones  in  imitation 
of  the  natural  colors,  and  perched  above  all  was  a  parrot,  said  to  have  been  carved 
from  a  single  emerald.  It  seems  in  design,  proportions  and  decorations  to  be 
perfect,  and  one  can  easily  appreciate  the  feeling  that  prompted  the  Persian 
inscription  that  is  written  over  the  north  and  south  arches  of  the  hall:  "  If  there 
be  a  "Paradise  on  earth,  it  is  this,  it  is  this,  it  is  this." 

The  Jama  flusjid. 

Not  far  away  rises  the  great  dome  of  the  Jama  Musjid,  which  is  without  rival 
among  mosques.  Six  years  Shah  Jehan  was  engaged  in  building  it.  There  are 
three  stately  gates,  approached  by  great  flights  of  steps;  the  courtyard  is  450  feet 
square,  paved  with  granite,  inlaid  wdth  marble;  the  mosque  is  260  feet  long  and 
120  feet  wide,  and  the  building  is  crowned  b}^  three  domes  of  snow-white  marble, 
with  two  loft}''  minarets  of  marble  and  sandstone  in  alternate  stripes. 

The  floor  is  paved  with  slabs  of  white  marble,  with  a  border  of  black;  each 
slab  is  three  feet  long  by  one  and  a  half  broad,  and  forms  "a  pew  "  for  one  person 
on  Friday,  when  devout  Mohammedans  throng  the  place. 

Delhi's  Ruins  and  flonkeys. 

For  centuries  Delhi  was  the  proudest  capital  of  the  Mogul  empire,  and  I  spent 
a  week  visiting  and  studying  the  ruins  of  seven  distinct  ancient  cities  within  a 
circle  of  twenty  miles  about  the  present  city,  each  of  which  was,  in  its  time,  a. 
place  of  oriental  splendor,  but  all  that  can  be  found  of  them  now  are  broken  streets, 
crumbling  forts,  decaying  pillars,  leaning  towers  and  tottering  walls  of  grand  old 
castles  and  palaces,  and  where  the  mighty  Moguls  reigned  in  glory  the  jackals 
and  wolves  awake  the  echoes,  by  night,  wdth  their  hideous  cries. 

The  monkey  seems  to  be  the  present   Mogul  of  Delhi.     Hundreds  of  these 
comical  creatures  are  seen  on  the  pavements,  fences,  trees  and  housetops  of  the. 
city,  and  although  they  are  up  to  all  kinds  of  pranks,  3'ou  dare  not  injure  one  of 
them  unless  you  are  willing  to  pay  a  fine  of  fift}-  rupees  in  court. 

A  school  teacher  told  me  that  she  rented  a  large  building  for  her  classes  for  a 
very  small  amount  cf  money  because  the  monke5^s  were  so  troublesome  in  the 
neighborhood.  Several  times  they  entered  the  building  most  unceremoniously, 
scuffling  and  fighting  as  they  dashed  through  the  door  or  windows,  and,  of  course, 
during  the  edifying  performances  her  classes  suspended  operations.  A  child 
asked  her,  one  da}^  whether  she  would  be  excused  while  she  went  on  the  roof  for 
her  shoe.  A  monkey  had  quietly  slipped  into  the  room,  snatched  up  the  child's 
shoe,  which  had  been  left  near  the  door,  and  there  it  was  on  the  flat  roof  trying. 
to  make  an  external  application  of  the  pupil's  understanding! 


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228  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

A  veteran  missionar}'  told  me  that  a  workman  of  his  acquaintance  placed  his 
lunch,  wrapped  up  in  a  cloth,  on  the  limb  of  a  tree,  while  he  was  working  near  b}-. 
A  monkey  carried  the  bundle  to  the  top  of  the  tree,  sedatel}'  unrolled  it,  ate  the 
contents  and  politeh'  took  the  cloth  back  and  hung  it  in  its  proper  place.  The 
next  day  the  workman  placed  a  snake  in  the  cloth;  his  nionke3-ship  repeated  his 
theft,  but  when  the  snake  sprang  out,  after  blinking  his  eyes  for  an  instant  to  help 
him  take  in  the  situation,  the  monkey  rubbed  the  snake's  head  off  against  the 
limb,  threw  the  limp  thing  at  the  man,  and  hung  the  lunch  cloth  on  the  highest 
twig  of  the  tree.  Doubtless  you  will  think  I  commenced  with  the  sublime  and 
closed  v.'ith  the  ridiculous. 

An  Indian  Wolf=nan. 

"While  in  Japan  a  friend,  who  spent  several  years  in  India,  spoke  to  me  of  the 
wolf-boy  who  was  caught  some  3'ears  ago  in  one  of  the  northwest  provinces  of  the 
country,  and  urged  me  on  my  arrival  in  Agra  to  call  at  the  Secundra  Orphanage, 
near  the  city,  and  see  this  human  curiosity.  As  this  strange  creature  has  never, 
as  far  as  I  am  aware,  been  mentioned  by  tourists,  and  as  I  have  secured  reliable 
information  about  him  from  Dr.  C.  S.  Valentine,  principal  of  the  Agra  Medical 
]\Iissionary  Training  Institute,  I  desire  to  give  these  fact  to  my  readers. 

In  the  Spring  of  1867  a  number  of  natives  in  search  of  game  in  the 
imfrequented  jungles  of  Bulandshahr,  situated  in  Northwestern  India,  surprised 
a  stra}^  wolf,  Avhich  they  followed  to  a  hillock,  out  of  which  rose  a  rock,  and  on 
this  rock,  apparently  sunning  itself,  sat  a  dark,  curious-looking  object  which,  to 
their  great  astonishment,  turned  out  to  be  a  human  being,  who,  on  seeing  the 
iLunters,  sprang  from  the  rock,  and,  running  on  all  fours,  entered  a  cave  with  the 
pursued  wolf. 

The  frightened  natives  returned  immediately  to  Bulandshahr,  and,  having 
related  what  they  saw  to  the  magistrate  of  the  place,  they  were  advised  to  kindle 
a  fire  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave  and  smoke  the  thing  from  its  den.  This  was  done. 
The  strange  creature  rushed  out,  and  after  a  struggle,  during  which  several  of  the 
natives  were  bitten,  it  was  overpowered  and  captured. 

The  Wolf = Boy. 

Here,  in  the  wild  jungles,  running  on  all-fours,  covered  with  filth  ana  vermin, 
his  face  partially  hidden  by  long,  matted  hair,  and  having  no  companion  but  the 
wolf,  was  a  boy,  who  at  the  time  when  he  was  found  could  not  have  been  more 
than  seven  or  eight  years  of  age.  As  one  listens  to  Dr.  Valentine  telling  the 
story  he  is  tempted  to  believe  in  the  ancient  fable  of  Romulus  and  Remus. 

A  few  weeks  after  he  was  caught  the  wolf-boy  was  sent  by  the  magistrate  to 
the  Secundra  Orphanage,  and  as  he  entered  the  institution  on  Saturday  he  was 


THE    KUTUB    MINAR,   I^EI.HI. 


1229J 


230  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

named  Sanicliar.  For  a  loug  time  after  he  came  to  the  orphanage  it  was  impossible 
to  get  him  to  act  as  a  human  being.  He  persisted  in  eating  his  food  from  the 
ground,  picking  up  vegetables  with  his  lips  and  gnawing  flesh  from  bones  with  his 
teeth,  like  a  carniverous  animal,  and  the  clothes  with  which  he  was  supplied  he 
tore  into  shreds  and  cast  them  away  as  encumbrances.  B}'  degrees  he  grew  more 
docile,  and,  although  he  has  never  spoken  a  word,  he  gradually  conformed  some- 
what to  his  surroundings,  but  he  insists  upon  eating  with  his  fingers. 

It  is  thought  that  he  is  now  about  thirty-six  or  thirty-seven  years  old,  although 
he  looks  much  older. 

His   Appearance  and  Training. 

His  head  is  small,  his  brovv'  uncommonly  low  and  contracted,  while  his  eyes 
are  of  a  grayish  color,  restless  and  squinting.  He  has  a  small,  thin,  wrinkled 
face,  on  which  are  two  large  cicatrices,  marks,  doubtless,  of  severe  bites  that  were 
received  by  him.  On  other  parts  of  his  body  are  found  scars  and  other  signs  of 
rough  treatment  to  which  he  was  subjected  no  doubt  while  living  in  the  cave  with 
his  wild  companions.  When  he  stands  erect  he  is  five  feet  and  two  inches  in. 
height  ;  in  walking  he  lifts  his  feet  as  if  he  were  wading  through  wet  grass, 
and  when  he  moves  along  all  the  muscles  of  his  body  seem  to  be  undergoing  a 
series  of  jerks,  while  his  arms  are  thrown  about  in  such  a  manner  as  to  convey 
the  impression  that  they  must  greatl}'  assist  him  in  his  progress. 

His  head  is  continuall}'  in  motion,  turning  from  side  to  side  with  great 
rapidit}^  while  his  eyes,  which  at  all  times  have  a  hungry  appearance,  glare  as  if 
he  expected  an  attack  from  some  unseen  enem3^  When  viewed  from  behind  as  he 
walks,  or  when  he  stands  in  front  of  3'ou  with  his  head  hanging  on  one  side, 
flashing  his  sharp  eyes  and  beating  his  stomach  to  show  that  he  is  hungry,  while 
he  utters  inarticulate  sounds,  he  presents  a  strange  appearance  indeed.  He  has 
evidently  been  totally  deaf  and  dumb  since  his  capture,  and  although  all  attempts 
to  teach  him  to  speak  have  failed,  bj^  signs  those  v.dio  care  for  him  can  get  him  to 
sit,  stand,  and  run. 

If  poor  Sanichar,  the  wolf-boy,  had  received  the  same  care  that  was  bestowed 
upon  the  afflicted  Laura  Bridgeman,  it  is  possible  that  his  faculties  might  have 
been  sufficiently  developed  to  enable  him  to  impart  at  least  something  concerning 
the  first  years  of  his  life,  which  must  now  alwaj's  remain  an  unsolved  myster5^ 

Invasions  of  India. 

India  has  suffered  from  nine  great  invasions  during  its  checkered  histor>^ 
The  first  was  the  Arj^an  invasion,  which  took  place  many  years  before  the 
Christian  era;  the  second  was  headed  by  Alexander  the  Great,  when  the  Bactran 
empire  was  established  in  the  second  century  B.  C;  then  followed  the  Scythian 


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232  AROUND   THE   WORI.D 

invasion,  first  century,  A.  D.  ;  the  Malimondef  Ghazins'  conquest,  when  a  Turk 

established  rule  and  Mohammedan  religion;  the  invasion  of  Tamerlane  the  Great, 

139S  ;    the  Mogul  empire,    founded   by    Baber,    1524;    the   Persian    conquest  of 

Mohammedanism  and  the  setting  up  of  the  Hindu  reaction  in  1739;  the  Ahmed 

Shah  Abdalis  invasion  in  1761,  in  which  the  Mahratta  power  was  crushed  and 

more  than  700,000  men  were  killed,  and,  lastly,  the  English  invasion. 

To-da}'  nearly  all  of  India  is  ruled  absolutely  by  Great  Britain,   while  by 

sufferance  there  are  certain  States  supposed  to  be  "  independent, ' '  ruled  over  by 

Maharajahs.     In  these  are  placed  English  "residents,"  or  rather  English  spies, 

and  the  home  government  at  London  knows  exactly  what  is  going  on  and  the 

"  policy  "  of  these  native  rulers  is  decided  for  them  by  the  little  island  across  the 

seas. 

A  Native  Ruler. 

The  beautiful  city  of  Jeypore  is  the  capital  of  the  territory  belonging  to 
Maharajah  Mardozing,  whose  province  is  about  the  size  of  Massachusetts,  and  as 
the  ruler  is  a  cultivated,  progressive  gentleman,  quite  democratic  in  his  manner 
of  dealing  with  foreigners,  no  difficulty  was  encountered  in  visiting  his  palaces 
and  seeing  something  of  him  personally. 

His  travels  in  Europe  have  made  their  impressions  upon  him,  and  the  well- 
paved  streets,  the  public  mint,  the  museum,  the  observatory,  the  hospitals  and  the 
excellent  school  buildings  all  go  to  prove  that  he  is  much  more  Western  than 
Eastern  in  his  ideas.  Indeed  the  general  appearance  of  the  small  dominion  of 
this  native  prince  exhibits  a  favorable  contrast  to  India  generally,  over  which  the 
authority  of  England  extends. 

The  Maharajah's  stables  contain  nine  hundred  horses,  seven  hundred  camels 
and  eighty-five  elephants;  and  five  hundred  servants  wait  upon  his  wives  and  keep 
the  magnificent  palaces  and  gardens  in  order.  By  the  kindness  of  his  honor  four 
elephants  were  placed  at  the  service  of  our  party  of  sixteen;  each  elephant 
was  attended  by  two  servants  from  the  palace,  in  livery;  and  each  swaying  elephant 
back  carrying  four  jolly  Americans  we  proceeded  to  the  royal  summer  palace, 
several  miles  from  the  city  walls. 

A   Ride  on   Elephant-Back. 

These  great  creatures  are  easily  controlled  by  their  drivers,  who  sit  just  back 
of  their  ears  and  frequently  use  the  sharp  iron -pointed  rod  to  guide  them;  but 
when  the  shuffling,  flat-footed  tread  became  monotonous,  and  at  my  urgent  request 
the  beast  was  made  to  trot,  we  could  imagine  that  we  were  again  on  a  rolling  ocean 
steamer,  and  the  performance  was  soon  brought  to  a  close. 

Passing  through  the  old  city  of  Ambar,  which  is  now  in  ruins,  the  elephants 
wind  slowly  up  the  steep  slopes  which  lead  to  the  entrance  of  the  palace,  which  is 


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(233) 


234 


AROUND   THE    WORLD 


defended  by  a  narrow  approach  with  three  massive  gateways,  the  last  of  which 
opens  on  a  great  square,  where  the  elephants  at  the  command  of  the  drivers  drop 
on  their  knees  and,  with  the  aid  of  short  ladders,  the  riders  alight.  Through 
brass  doorways  and  alcoves  of  embroidered  marble  we  pass  into  the  second  court- 
yard, and  about  us  are  the  "  Court  of  Honor,"  the  "  Men's  Abode,"  which  is 
said  to  contain  the  finest  portal  in  the  world,  the  "  Hall  of  Victory,"  adorned  by 
panels  of  alabaster,  inlaid  with  birds,  flowers  and  arabesques  in  various  colors, 
the  roof  glittering  with  the  mirrored  and  spangled  work  for  which  Jeypore  art  is 
renowned,  and  beyond  these  is  the  '•'  Alcove  of  Light,"  which  glows  with  tender 
colors  and  exquisite  inlaid  work  and  looks  through  arches  of  carved  ala- 
baster and  laced  marble  work  upon  the  placid  lake  and  silent  mountains.       In 

the  independent  State  of  Baroda,  ac- 
companied by  my  host,  Captain  Lynn, 
I  visited  the  palace  which  contains 
the  famous  regalia  of  Baroda,  among 
which  is  seen  the  gorgeous  collar  of 
five  hundred  diamonds,  the  pendant 
of  which  is  the  famous  ' '  Star  of  the 
Deccan,"  and  a  carpet  ten  feet  by  six 
woven  entirely  of  strings  of  pure 
pearls,  with  central  and  corner  circles 
of  diamonds.  Near  this  palace  are 
two  gold  cannon,  weighing  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty  pounds  each,  with 
two  companions  of  silver,  the  wagons, 
bullock  harness  and  ramrods  being  all 
of  silver.  It  is  the  ambition  of  each 
Maharajah  to  outshine  his  predecessor. 

Indian   Customs. 


AN   INDIAN    RUSTIC. 


The  country  is  inhabited  by  people 
of  various   colors,    customs    and    lan- 
guages, although  it  is  generally  sup- 
posed that  the  different  tongues  can  be  traced  to  the  mother  Sanskrit,  and  the 
people  to  a  great  extent  find  a  common  origin  in  the  Indo-Caucasian  stock. 

The  Bengalee,  which  is  very  much  like  the  Sanskrit,  is  spoken  in  Bengal; 

the  Orria  in   the  Orissa;  the  Tamul  in  Madras,   by  the  Moharaslitros;  and  the 

Hindoosthanee,  in  all  its  different  forms,  is  spoken  in  the  northwestern  provinces. 

The  Brahmans,  in  their  religious  services  and  frequently  in  conversation,  use 

the  Sanskrit,  but  the  other  castes  generally  adopt  the  Bengalee. 


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1235) 


236 


AROUND    THE    WORLD 


The  Bengalees,  in  bodily  structure,  are  delicate,  and  in  disposition  are  mild 
and  peaceable;  on  the  other  hand,  the  peoples  of  Upper  India  are  brave,  haughty 
and  warlike,  and  physically  they  are  robust  and  muscular. 


' 

■-#  *•. 

-^  JfeJS: 

'  4' 

#1 

^  Ir 

. '  '-^^^ 

■    ■  •■ 

Use  of  Tobacco. 

In  the  use  of  tobacco  these  people  are  much  more  careful  than  more 
"  civilized  "  nations.     The  tobacco  leaves,  with  other  ingredients,  are  chopped  up, 

put  in  the  earth  for  sev- 
eral  days,  and  the 
smoker  does  not  draw 
the  smoke  directly  into 
his  mouth,  but  it  passes 
through  a  long  pipe, 
comes  into  the  bottom 
of  the  hooka,  which  is 
full  of  cold  water,  and 
making  its  way  through 
another  pipe  at  last 
reaches  the  mouth.  The 
taric,  or  the  juice  of  the 
palm  or  date  tree,  is 
used  by  the  low  caste 
people  generally;  it  can 
be  easil}'  pressed  from 
the  stalks  of  the  plant 
and  it  quickly  intoxi- 
cates. 

I  noticed  that  the 
Hindus  frequently  ap- 
pealed to  the  heavenly 
bodies.  On  the  temple 
walls  you  find  the 
signs  of  the  zodiac,  and 
by  the  motion  of  the  stars  and  the  eclipses  they  base  their  prophecies  of  good 

or  evil. 

Sacred  Time. 

Three  months  in  the  year  are  regarded  by  the  Hindus  as  sacred,  viz. ,  Bois- 
Ak  (April),  Kartic  (October),  and  Magh  (January).  The  first,  commencing  the 
new  year,  is  the  holiest  of  all.  The  stores  and  homes  are  fancifully  decorated, 
the  scales  and  weights  are  washed  and  worshiped,  the  first  page  of  account  books 


LI^AMA   WITH    PRAYING   WHHEI,. 


WITH   F.YES   WIDE   OPEN. 


237 


is  ornamented  at  the  top  with  two  round  iigures  marked  with  red  and  yellow 
powders.  Every  day  the  book  begins  by  a  deposit  of  a  small  amount  of  money  to 
the  credit  of  a  favorite  deity,  and  when  the  year  draws  to  a  close  the  money  is 
accurateh'  collected  and  used  for  purposes  of  worship. 

On  New  Year's  Day  (first  of  April)  all  orthodox  Hindus  are  expected  to 
dedicate  pitchers  to  the  gods  and  deceased  ancestors.  As  these  are  supposed  to  be 
thirsty  at  this  hot  sea- 
son earthen,  brazen 
or  silver  pitchers  (ac- 
cording to  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  de- 
dicator) are  placed  in 
a  row,  with  trays  full 
of  fruit  on  their  tops. 
The  first  is  offered  to 
the  gods,  the  second 
to  the  gooroo,  or 
priest,  the  third  to  the 
father  of  the  dead, 
the  fourth  to  the 
grandfather,  etc. 
Each  day  of  this 
month  is  marked  by 
some  feast  or  cere- 
mony, and  full  thirty 
daj'S  are  spent  in  the 
most  reckless  forms  of 
dissipation  and  idola- 
trous superstition. 

A  riarriage  Procession. 

The  visitor  to  In- 
dia cannot  well  miss  a 
marriage  procession, 
for  it  is  of  daily  oc- 
currence in  the  large 
cities,  and,  as  the  whole  affair  is  of  the  most  fanta.stic  character,  accompanied 
by  the  most  fearful  strains  of  music,  he  cannot  but  be  attracted  b}^  it. 

In  the  ranks  are  generally  to  be  seen  white  horses,  painted  sky-blue  or  bright 
yellow;  sacred  bullocks,  caparisoned  in  the  most  brilliant  style,  drawing  covered 


DANCIXG  GIRL,    OF  JEYPORE,   INDIA. 


238 


AROUND   THE  WORLD 


carts,  with  peep-holes,  in  which  the  women  of  the  harem  ride.  In  the  midst  of 
the  crowd  are  painted  and  powdered  men  carrying  banners,  on  which  are  ludicrous 
figures,  and  near  the  band  of  musicians  is  seen  the  boy   bridegroom,  perhaps 

conspicuously  perched 
on  an  elephant,  unac- 
companied by  his 
bride,  who  does  not 
appear  in  public. 

This  is  usually 
known  as  a  marriage 
procession,  but  it  is 
really  a  betrothal,  for 
years  may  elapse  be- 
fore the  youth  f  u  1 
groom  of  ten  and  the 
baby  bride  of  six 
summers  have  any 
communication  at  all 
with  each  other,  al- 
though nothing  but 
death  can  interrupt 
the  union  after  the 
ceremony  is  over. 


Women's  Ornaments. 

The  brilliant  or- 
naments worn  by  girls 
and  women  in  every 
part  of  India  attract 
more  attention  than 
admiration.  This 
morning  I  took  a  men- 
tal photograph  of  a 
swarthy  female,  flash- 
i  n  g    and    t  i  n  k  li  n  s: 


INDIAN   ACTRESS. 


with  bangles  on  her  wrists,  ankles,  arms,  ears  and  nose.  The  heavy  rings 
dragged  her  ears  quite  out  of  shape;  her  perforated  nostrils  were  ornamented 
with  trinkets  that  extended  nearly  to  her  chin ;  her  brown  limbs  and  arms  were 
decked  with  great  rings  of  silver  and  gilt,  and  part  of  her  bosom  was  tattooed 
with  blue  and  red  ink.     She  was  a  poor  fruitseller  in  the  market-place,  but  her 


1239,' 


240  AROUND   THE   WORLD. 

poverty  could  not  gain  the  victory  over  her  vanity,  which,  to  some  extent,  seems 
to  be  a  trait  of  character  among  all  nations  and  of  both  sexes. 

There  is  a  class  of  women  called  Nautch  dancers  who  are  sometimes  seen  on 
the  streets,  but  those  whose  performances  are  regarded  as  most  artistic  are 
monopolized  by  the  rajahs  and  maharajahs,  who  allow  them  to  dance  in  public 
during  royal  receptions  and  festivities.  At  the  "  audience"  given  by  the  maha- 
rajah  at  Jeypore,  sixty-five  of  these  toe  artists  entertained  the  ruler,  about  a 
thousand  natives  and  a  small  party  of  Americans,  and  I  suppose  the  ridiculous 
vshuffling  gave  a  fair  idea  of  the  typical  Oriental  dance. 

One  who  is  much  more  gifted  in  describing  a  woman's  attire  than  I,  furnishes 
me  with  the  description  of  one  of  these  professional  and  royal  dancers,  which  I 
append. 

Royal  Dancers. 

The  leading  dancer  was  dressed  in  a  close-fitting  garment,  with  long  sleeves 
and  a  very  full  skirt,  much  plaited  in  at  the  waist,  made  of  the  finest  transparent 
muslin  of  a  light  violet  color,  trimmed  nearly  to  her  waist  with  rows  of  broad 
gold  brocade  lace,  as  also  about  her  shoulders  and  bust  with  the  same.  This 
dress  was  confined  slightly  at  her  waist  by  a  scarf  of  bright  green  muslin  spotted 
with  gold,  whose  ends  of  gold  brocade  fell  on  her  left  side,  and  had  the  effect  of 
raising  the  skirt  a  little  so  as  to  show  her  trousers  of  the  richest  cloth  of  gold. 
With  one  end  tucked  into  her  waistband,  a  splendid  Benares  scarf  of  filmy 
amber  muslin-gauze,  profusely  flowered  with  gold,  having  borders  and  ends  of  the 
same,  passed  over  her  left  arm  and  head  and  fell  over  her  right  shoulder. 

The  gold  ornaments  on  her  head  and  arms  were  all  handsome  and  in  great 
profusion,  and  her  gold  anklets,  whose  tiny  bells  jingled  as  she  moved,  had  a  row 
of  large  brilliant  stones  on  their  bands,  which  flashed  as  she  danced,  and  gave,  so 
some  of  the  Americans  thought,  a  charming  effect  to  the  tinj^  graceful  feet  on 
which  they  rested. 

The  Indian  flutiny. 

There  is  no  bloodier  chapter  in  the  history  of  this  centur}^  than  that  record- 
ing the  heartrending  scenes  of  the  Indian  mutin}^  of  1857.  As  I  visited  the  places 
in  Cawnpore,  Delhi  and  Lucknow,  which  have  been  made  historic  by  the  bold 
uprising  of  the  natives  of  India,  by  the  fearful  suffering  and  slaughter  of  English 
women  and  children,  and  by  the  heroic  bravery  of  British  soldiery,  I  experienced 
mingled  feelings  of  horror,  sadness  and  approVjation. 

While  making  these  studies,  I  have  had  by  my  side  most  of  the  time  an  old 
soldier  who  was  wounded  three  times  during  the  mutiny,  who  followed  Havelock 
and  Outram  in  their  noble  charges  and  sieges,  and  whose  eloquent  recital  of  these 
thrilling  events  added  no  little  to  the  interest  elicited  by  these  localities. 


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242  AROUND   THE   WORLD. 

After  much  controversy  on  the  subject  the  weight  of  testimony  seems  to 
support  the  opinion  that  tlie  origin  of  the  outbreak  can  be  found  in  both  poHtical 
and  religious  tendencies  that  had  been  growing  in  power  for  years  before  it 
actually  burst  forth. 

Long  before  1857  it  was  knowni  that  the  Mohammedans  were  dissatisfied  with 
their  subordinate  position,  and  their  increasing  idleness  and  immoral  conduct 
rendered  them  insolent  and  fractious.  This  restless  feeling  was  fanned  into  a 
flame  when  the  royal  family  was  dismissed  from  their  residence  in  the  fortress  at 
Delhi  by  the  English  government,  and  especially  when,  through  the  influence  of 
Lord  Hastings,  the  kingdom  of  Oude  was  annexed  to  the  British  possessions. 
But  the  Mohammedans,  on  account  of  their  numerical  inferiority,  could  do  noth- 
ing as  long  as  the  Hindu  soldiers  remained  true  to  England.  The  wily  Moham- 
medans, aided  by  a  concatenation  of  circumstances,  were  enabled  to  overcome 
this  difficulty.  It  was  sedulously  reported  that  the  British  government  had 
determined  to  force  all  of  its  subjects  to  embrace  Christianity,  and,  in  order  to 
accomplish  this  end,  a  plan  had  been  devised  b}^  which  the  whole  of  the  Hindu 
sepoys  would  become  defiled  and  break  their  caste. 

As  it  was  well  known  that  no  Hindu  could  remain  clean  and  touch  with 
his  lips  the  grease  of  animals,  the  Mohammedan  emissaries  declared  that  the 
government  had  adopted  the  device  of  issuing  cartridges  greased  with  pigs'  and 
bullocks'  fat  for  the  Enfield  rifles,  the  end  of  which  must  be  bitten  off"  before 
they  could  be  used.  When  a  Hindu  touched  the  unclean  thing  with  his  lips 
and  teeth  of  course  he  would  become  an  outcast,  and  there  could  be  no  other 
resource  for  him  except   to  join  the  religion  of  his  masters. 

The  leaders  of  the  two  great  classes  of  natives  were  soon  united  in  their  pur- 
poses; regiment  after  regiment  rebelled;  fort  after  fort  was  besieged;  and  the  spirit 
of  the  insurgents  spread  rapidly  throughout  northern  India.  The  King  of  Delhi 
was  proclaimed  sovereign  of  the  whole  country;  the  stores  of  firearms  and  ammu- 
nition were  seized;  English  officers  were  shot  down  by  the  native  soldiers  while 
at  drill;  the  residences  of  foreigners  were  broken  into  and  plundered  as  quickly  as 
they  could  be  reached;  neither  age  nor  sex  w^as  spared,  and  within  twenty-four 
hours  from  the  time  when  the  first  gun  was  fired  a  frightful  massacre  was  being 
perpetrated  in  fifteen  or  twenty  villages  and  cities. 

Nana  Sahib's  Perfidy. 

My  old  friend,  Captain  Lee,  who  received  a  terrible  sabre  gash  while  fighting 
on  the  streets  of  Cawnpore,  pointed  out  the  scenes  of  the  struggle  at  this  place 
and  vividly  described  the  disaster  that  befell  the  British  arms  early  in  the  combat. 

Sir  Hugh  Wheeler  intrenched  himself  in  the  barracks  with  a  force  of  about 
three  hundred  soldiers,  who  were  protecting  five  hundred  women  and  children, 


1 24?,  I 


244  AROUND   THE   WORLD. 

the  families  of  officers  and  civilians.  The  insurgents  were  commanded  b,v  Nana 
Sahib,  who  nurtured  a  deadly  hatred  against  the  government  foi  declining  to 
recognize  in  him  the  successor  of  a  late  ruler  to  whom  he  was  connected  by- 
adoption,  and,  wearied  by  the  desperate  resistance  of  the  men  in  the  barracks,  he 
offered  to  give  to  all  a  safe  passage  to  Allahabad  if  a  surrender  was  made. 

The  terms  of  the  perfidious  enemy  were  accepted.  Unarmed  men,  with 
hundreds  of  helpless  women  and  children,  marched  to  the  river  bank,  and  just 
as  they  were  about  to  embark  a  masked  battery  opened  fire  on  them,  the 
murderous  shots  killing  six  hundred  and  fifty  out  of  the  eight  hundred.  This 
apparent  success  seemed  only  to  inflame  the  demon  Nana.  The  one  hundred  and 
fifty  prisoners  were  brought  into  his  presence.  The  men  were  tortured  and 
slowly  put  to  death,  and  the  others,  after  undergoing  the  most  horrible  ordeal, 
were  butchered  by  savages  and  their  bodies  cast  into  a  well. 

Marochetti's  beautiful  monument  raised  over  this  well  is  a  pure  white  marble 
figure  of  an  angel,  with  folded  wings  and  palm-laden  hands,  with  its  eyes  sadly 
cast  downward  toward  the  spot  where  the  dead  and  dying  were  hurled. 

The  Defence  of  Lucknow. 

Although  the  mutiny  broke  out  in  the  early  summer,  Havelock  and  Outram 
did  not  succeed  in  forcing  their  way  into  Lucknow  until  the  twenty-fifth  of 
September,  when  they  came  to  the  relief  of  the  British  residency.  During  these 
months  a  handful  of  men  held  the  place  against  thousands  of  native  soldiers. 
Many  within  the  walls  died  from  wounds  and  exhaustion,  while  several  officers, 
among  them  Sir  Henry  Lawrence,  fell  before  the  shot  of  the  enemy.  Women,  as 
is  always  the  case  under  similar  circumstances,  acted  with  transcendent  heroism, 
and  when  at  last  succor  came,  tears  of  men,  women  and  children  mingled  in 
thanksgiving. 

As  I  walked  through  the  hushed  chambers  of  the  Residency,  Tennyson's 
"  Defence  of  Lucknow  "  came  to  mind,  and  in  leaving,  as  I  looked  back  upon  its 
broken  and  shot-scarred  walls,  I  recalled  the  words  of  the  angelic  chorus  over  the 
birth  of  one  greater  than  Tennyson. 

England  may  well  shudder  as  she  notices  the  indications  of  another  Indian 
mutiny.  While  victory  has  crowned  English  arms  of  late,  in  Northern  India,  and 
the  warlike  tribes  have  been  driven  from  their  strongholds  in  the  mountains,  the 
end  is  not  yet.  There  is  danger  now,  as  there  always  has  been,  of  a  Moham- 
medan uprising.  The  Mohammedan  does  not  make  a  clear  distinction  between 
the  English  and  other  European  nations.  The  reports  have  been  spread  among 
them  that  the  Sultan's  army  has  defeated  the  Greeks;  this  means  to  them  that  the 
Crescent  has  been  victorious  over  the  Cross;  and  their  hatred  against  the  Christian 


'^^^^'^^^fe^ 


(245) 


246 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


never  was  more  intense  than  now.  It  is  thonght  by  some  that  the  mutinous- 
rumbling  will  grow  louder;  the  bloody  scenes  of  1857  will  be  repeated;  and  the 
map  of  the  East  ma}^  be  changed. 

Caste  and  Outcasts. 

The  caste  system,  which  is  so  closely  connected  with  the  origin  of  the  mutiny, 
exists  in  India  as  nowhere  else  in  the  world.  Among  the  primitive  Hindus  there- 
were  only  four  castes, 
viz.,  the  Brahman, 
the  highest,  which 
embraced  the  priest- 
hood; the  Kais-th, 
which  included  the 
trading  classes;  the 
Khetryas,  the  gov- 
erning and  soldier 
caste,  and  the  Soo- 
dras,  embracing  the 
laboring  population. 

The  members  of 
these  primary  castes, 
notwithstanding  they 
had  a  common  lan- 
guage and  religion, 
socially  were  separated 
b}^  insurmountable 
walls. 

In  course  of  time 
the  four  divisions 
grew  into  many  more 
castes,  and  at  the 
present  day  every  line 
of  activity  is  formed 
into  a  kind  of  close 
corporation,  and  each 
is  absolutel}^  exclusive 
of    the    others.      For 

HIGH   CASTE   INDIAN   WOMAN.  •       ,  ., 

instance,  there  is  a 
weaver  caste,  and  a  weaver's  son  can  marry  only  a  weaver's  daughter,  and  a 
weaver's  daughter  cannot  marry  any  one  except  a  weaver's  son;  members  of  the 


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248  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

sboemaking  caste  cannot  intermarry  with  any  other  caste  ;  and  so  with  the 
blacksmith  caste,  the  goldsmith  caste,  the  washer  caste,  the  farmer  caste,  tlie 
barber  caste,  and  so  on.  With  the  exception  of  the  Soodra  caste,  the  members 
of  which  are  virtually  outcasts,  no  one  can  come  into  any  of  the  castes  except 
by  birth. 

In  other  countries,  by  opulence,  learning,  application,  etc.,  a  person  of 
obscure  birth  can  exalt  himself  in  the  social  scale,  but  not  so  in  India.  An 
orthodox  Hindu  will  tell  you  that  a  person's  position  at  birth  is  a  dispensation 
of  nature,  and  as  it  is  impossible  to  transform  a  dog  into  an  ox,  a  deer  into  a 
camel,  a  horse  into  an  elephant,  so  you  cannot  make  a  barber  out  of  a  w^eaver, 
a  physician  out  of  a  cobbler,  or  a  priest  out  of  a  farmer. 

One  of  the  greatest  calamities  that  can  befall  a  Hindu  is  to  have  his  caste 
broken,  for  then  he  is  known  as  an  "outcast,"  and  he  and  his  family  are 
disgraced  forever.  If  a  member  of  one  caste  eats- anything  or  drinks  anything 
that  has  been  touched  by  any  one  not  belonging  to  his  caste,  or  if  he  eats 
with,  drinks  with  or  sleeps  with  any  such  person,  he  loses  caste  immediately, 
and  the  restoration  of  his  loss  is  an  impossibility. 

Unintentionally  I  came  very  near  bringing  a  calamity  upon  a  man's  business 
and  getting  myself  into  a  serious  complication.  In  the  market-place  of  Agra  I 
paused  before  a  stand  containing  Indian  sweetmeats,  and  desiring  to  sample  the 
dark-colored  sugar  I  touched  a  small  lump  to  my  mouth,  and  was  about  to  replace 
the  sugar,  when  three  men  sprang  forward,  and  such  a  fuss  I  have  not  heard  for 
many  a  day.  An  old  gentleman,  who  has  lived  fifty-six  years  in  India,  told  me 
that  if  the  lump  that  had  been  placed  to  my  mouth  had  fallen  among  the  sweet- 
meats the  Hindu  would  have  been  obliged  to  close  out  his  business,  and  any  court 
in  India  would  have  given  him  damages  to  the  value  of  his  stock. 

Generally  it  is  dangerous  for  a  man  to  put  his  mouth  into  another  man's 
business.  In  this  instance,  I  came  near  making  the  fatal  mistake  of  putting 
another  man's  business  into  my  mouth!  Since  studying  this  question  I  learned 
of  the  enemy  of  a  certain  high  caste  Brahman  who  secretly  kneaded  the  flour  in 
the  Brahman's  kitchen.  The  Brahman  and  his  family  ate  the  bread,  and  they 
irretrievably  lost  their  caste  and  social  standing. 

If  a  man  of  one  caste  should  intentionally  or  accidentally  run  his  finger  into 
the  mouth  of  a  man  of  a  different  caste,  immediately  the  latter  becomes  an  outcast. 
Not  an  external,  but  an  internal,  touch  does  the  business.  If  a  pin  should  drop 
from  the  mouth  of  a  low  Soodra,  and  a  high  and  mighty  Brahman  (they  all  go 
barefooted)  should  step  on  it,  he  would  not  only  jump  high,  but  he  would  fall 
low,  for  he  would  lose  caste  forever. 

The  names  of  thirty-four  distinct  castes,  the  outgrowth  of  the  original  four, 
have  been  given  me,   and,   doubtless,   there  are  many  more   recognized   by  the 


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250 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


Hindus  of  India.  Ever>^  caste  has  its  paiichayat,  or  governing  committee,  and 
these  committees  have  absolute  power  in  all  social  questions.  If  a  young  man 
desires,  or,  rather,  if  his  parents  desire  him,  to  marry  a  woman  (of  course,  of  his 
caste,)  the  panchayat  committee  is  called  together,  and  they  arrange  all  details; 
but  the  committee  sometimes  disagrees,  a  division  takes  place  and  the  formation 
of  another  caste  is  the  result.  A  man  cannot  marry  a  girl  of  a  higher  caste  than 
the  one  to  which  he  belongs,  for  such  protection  is  thrown  around  her  that  he  can 
have  no  communication  with  her,  but  by  becoming  an  outcast  he  can  marry  a 
damsel  belonging  to  a  lower  caste. 

The  visitor  to  India  is  immediately  attracted  by  the  brilliant  marks  on  the 
foreheads  of  the  Hindus.  At  Calcutta  I  was  informed  that  these  are  caste  marks, 
but  this  is  a  mistake.  There  are  two  great  religious  sects — the  Shaivs,  worshipers 
■of  Mahader,  and  the  Vishnavi,  worshipers  of  the  incarnations  of  Vishnu.  The 
horizontal  mark  indicates  the  former  and  the  perpendicular  mark  the  latter. 

The  corrupted  Mohammedanism  of  India,  in  imitation  of  the  Hindus,  recog- 
nizes four  divisions — the  Sheikh,  the  Mogul,  the  Bathan  and  the  Saiyad — but 
these  resemble  family  tribes  more  than  they  do  the  inflexible  caste  of  the  Hindu. 


CHAPTER   XIT. 
THE   QUEEN  OF  THE   EAST. 

ALCUTTA  is  the  political  capital  and  Bombay  is  the  commer- 
cial metropolis  of  India,  and  the  two  are  located  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  country,  the  one  looking  toward  the  Bay  of 
Bengal,  the  other  washed  by  the  sea  of  Arabia. 

Nowhere  in  Asia  have  I  seen  such  a  variety'  of  peoples 
moving  through  the   streets,    dressed    in    every  conceivable 
oriental  garb  and  representing  so  completely  every  degree  of 
Asiatic  life  as  here  in  Bombay.     Probably  nowhere  else  in  the 
world,  not  even  in  Alexandria,  can  be  found  a  population  so  motley  and  conglom- 
erate, and  where  such  striking  varieties  of  race,  nationality  and  religion  are  seen 
as  on  these  wonderfully  busy  streets. 

While  visiting  the  bazaars,  accompanied  by  an  intelligent  guide,  I  passed 
Banians  of  Guzerat,  Mahrattas  from  the  Deccan,  Mussulmans,  Afghans,  Persians, 
Bedouin  Arabs,  Turks,  Malays,  Chinese,  Japanese,  Abyssinians,  Indo-Portuguese, 
Jews,  Armenians,  Europeans,  and,"  of  course,  the  omnipresent  Yankee. 

Religious    Divisions. 

But  I  desire  to  speak  especially  of  certain  sects  that  thnve  in  Bombay,  and 
whose  antagonistic  opinions  on  social  and  religious  questions  have  given  rise  to 
many  riots  and  much  bloodshed. 

The  Jains,  together  with  the  Brahmins,  lyingaets  and  Bhattias,  comprise  the 
castes  which  scrupulously  abstain  from  eating  meat. 

They  form  about  one-eighth  of  the  population.  In  religious  tenets  they 
resemble  closely  the  Buddhists  and  they  are  a  wealthy  sect,  accumulating  much 
money  in  the  different  trades. 

The  Brahminical,  or  orthodox  Hindus,  form  three-fifths  of  the  entire  popu- 
lation of  Bombay,  and  they  are  separated  into  two  divisions  of  worshipers,  the 
one  class  paying  homage  to  Vishnu,  the  preserver,  and  the  other  bowing  before 
Shiva,  the  destroyer,  the  second  and  third  persons  of  the  Hindu  trinity. 

The    Banians. 

The  most  important  class  among  the  Hindus,  and  the  best  known  outside  of 
India,  are  the  Banians.  They  have  the  commercial  instinct  remarkably  developed 
and  largely  control  the  foreign  commerce  of  India  with  the  countries  bordering  on 

(251) 


252 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


the  Persian  gulf  and  the  Indian  ocean.  To-da}'  the  trade  of  the  whole  east  coast 
of  Africa  and  Southern  and  Eastern  Arabia,  I  am  told,  is  mainly  managed  b}^  the 
great  Banian  merchants  of  Bombay. 


n 


:0 


:i^- 


r^^j*'^?^;'  ^"'     -r^ 


■iiRr^^  k^Ji^M.' -tf .. 


BOMBAY    HARBOR. 


'M>.  :    i 


Many  of  them  are  Jains,  and  they  have  the  utmost  veneration  for  animal  life. 
You  can  see  them  carefully  laying  grains  of  sugar  along  the  walls  bj-  the  roadside 
for  the  ants  to  eat  or  picking  up  worms  and  caterpillars    and  placing  them  where 


WITH 


EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


253 


they  will  not  be  trampled  upon;  and  they  have  temples  dedicated  to  animal  life, 
in  which  the  lowest  and  most  repulsive  forms  of  vermin  are  religiously  preserved. 
In  some  of  these  miserable  men  are  reported  to  receive  a  small  recompense  for 
allowing  insects  to  feed  upon  their  bodies  while  they  sleep. 

The   Mahrattas,  who  are  loyal  and  enthusiastic  Hindus,  have  no  commercial 
instinct  and   few  of  them   are   merchants  of  any  note.     They    were 


originally 


SHENT   TOWER,    BOMBAY. 


warriors,   politicians  and  farmers,  and  to-day  most  of  them  hold  inferior  places 
in  the  community. 

The  Mohammedans,  forming  one-fifth  of  the  population,  are  divided  into  the 
Soonees,  who  only  accept  the  historical  succession  of  Caliphs  after  Mohammed, 
and  the  Sheeahs,  who  are  followers  of  Ali,  the  fourth  Caliph.  The  Turks  and 
Arabs  are  the  chief  Soonee  nation,  while  the  Persians  are  mainly  Sheeahs. 

The  Parsees. 

The  Parsees,  followers  of  Zoroaster,  and  commonly  known  as  '  'fire- worship- 
ers," do  not  comprise  a  large  proportion  of  the  citizens  of  Bomba}^  but  owing  to 
their  energy,  commercial  genius,  freedom,  to  a  great  extent,  from  caste  prejudices 


254 


AROUND  THE  WORI^D 


and  the  readiness  with  which  they  have  adopted  European  ideas  and  learned  the 
English  language,  have  made  themselves  the  most  influential  and  wealthiest  class 
in  the  city. 

More  than  eight  centuries  ago  the  Parsees,  expelled  from  Persia,  sought  an 
asylum  in  this  part  of  the  world.  Their  temples  contain  no  images  ;  in  some  of 
them  burn  still   the   sacred  fire  brought  to   these  shores  by  their  fathers,  and 


A    HINDU  SACRIFICE. 


the  flame  at  the  altar  and  the  sun  in  the  heavens  are  worshiped  as  symbolic  of 
God,  who  is  declared  to  be  the  source  of  all  illumination. 

The  hat  worn  by  the  Parsee  is  quite  characteristic  and  marks  him  out  in  any 
crowd.  It  is  in  the  shape  of  a  cow's  hoof,  and  tradition  has  it  that  on  their  arrival 
in  India,  as  a  token  of  subjection,  they  were  compelled  to  adopt  this  style  of  head- 
gear by  the  Hindus,  who  regard  the  cow  as  the  most  sacred  of  animals. 

The  manner  in  which  the  Parsees  dispose  of  their  dead  is  characteristic 
of  this  people  alone,  and  it  impresses  the  visitor  to  Bombay  as  strangely 
repulsive.     I  drove  to  Malabar  Hill,  an  elevated  piece  of  ground  in  the  outskirts 


i4 
< 
> 

H 

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W 

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w 

o 


U55J 


256 


AROUND  THE  WORLD 


of  .the  city,  on  the  top  of  which  are  located  the  five  noted  "Towers  of  Silence," 
constituting  the  cemetery  of  the  Parsees. 

The  Towers  of  Silence. 

These   towers    are    approached    through    beautifulh^  kept  gardens,   and  the 
scenery  in  the  neighborhood  is  made  as  attractive  as  possible. 

When  a  Parsee  dies  the  body  is  brought  up  long  flights  of  steps,  which  are 

only  touched  by  the  feet  of  this  race.     Taken  to  a  temple,  where  the  sacred  fire 

has  been  burning  un- 
interruptedly for  hun- 
dreds of  years  and 
runeral  services  are 
held,  the  corpse  is  car- 
ried on  a  stretcher  into 
one  of  these  towers 
and  placed,  completely 
exposed,  upon  a  grat- 
ing; and,  after  the 
bearers  and  mourners 
retire,  hundreds  ot 
vultures,  which  are 
always  waiting  on  the 
cornices  of  the  towers 
and  on  the  tree-tops, 
swoop  down  to  their 
human  meal,  and  in 
less  than  thirty  min- 
utes nothing  is  left  but 
the  bones,  which  fall 

into   a    large  open    space   below,    where  they  are  decomposed  by  time  and  the 

elements. 

As  fire,  earth  and  water  are  all  held  b}-  the  Parsee  to  be  sacred,  a  bod}'  must 

not  be  burned,  for  this  would  defile  the  fire;  it  must  not  be  buried,  for  this  would 

defile  the  earth;  it  must  not  be  cast  into  the  river,  for  this  would  defile  the  water; 

"but  it  may  be  taken  into  the  life  of  the  birds  without  violating  any  tenet  as  to 

defilement. 

I    was   informed   of  one  strange   fanc}-   and  superstition  of  these  Parsees. 

A  dog    always  accompanies  the  funeral  procession,    5nd  when  the  white  cloth 

is   lifted    from    the   body,  before   it  is   left  alone  with  the  vultures,   if  the  dog 

approaches  the  corpse  and  notices  it  in  any  way,  the  dead  is  believed  to  be  in  a 


DR.    TUPPER   IN   CENTRAI,  INDIA. 


c 
> 


< 
a. 


258 


'AROUND   THE    WORI.D 


state  of  happiness;  on  the  contrar}-,  if  the  pup  slights  the  body  the  friends  are  left 
without  hope! 

At  a  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  ' '  Towers  of  Silence  ' '  I  noticed 
these  baldheaded  vultures,  larger  than  our  buzzards,  lining  the  fences  and  tower- 
tops,  eagerly  looking  out  for  a  procession.  As  our  party  passed  through  the 
gates,  among  the  birds  there  was  great  excitement,  but  this  joyful  anticipation 
was  changed  into  solenm  disappointment  when,  with  vigorous  step,  we  all  passed 
out  again. 

Filth  and  Holiness. 

The  thought  of  this  disposition  of  the  dead  was  not  so  repulsive  to  me  as  the 
manner  in  which  a  band  of  Hindu  priests  or  fakirs  are  living  not  far  from  this 

Parsee  cemetery.  It 
is  a  peculiar  trait  of 
.the  Hindu  religion 
that  its  filthiest  men 
are  often  reckoned 
among  its  holiest. 
I  witnessed  an  illus- 
tration of  this. 

Around  the 
crumbling  steps  of  an 
ancient  temple  were 
gathered  a  score  of 
nude  fakirs  on  piles 
of  ashes  who  are  sup- 
posed to  have  passed 
into  a  state  of  sinless- 
ness.  Their  hair, 
faces  and  bodies — un- 
washed for  years — 
were  covered  with  dust  and  dirt,  and  some  of  these  deluded  creatures  had  re- 
mained seated  in  one  position  for  so  long  a  time  that  their  limbs  had  become 
enormously  swollen  and  were  rendered  entireh'  useless. 

I  was  told  that  one  of  these  men  took  an  oath  twenty-five  3'ears  ago  that  he 
would  not  drop  his  arm  from  a  lifted  position  during  his  life — and  there  he  is. 
The  member  is  perfectly  dead,  and  now  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  break  his  oath 
should  he  desire.  Another  fakir  is-  pointed  out  who  thirtj^-eight  years  ago  pledged 
the,  gods  that  he  would  neither  sit  down  nor  lie  down  as  long  as  he  lived,  and 
during  all  these  weary  years  he  has  found  ph3^sical  rest  only  by  leaning  over  the 


DR.    TUPPER    AMONG   BUDDHIST   ASCETICS,    BOMBAY. 


HINDU   FAKIR   WHOSE   ARMS   HAVE   BEEN   UP    FOR   MANY   YEARS   AND   CANNOT 

TAKE  THEM   DOWN.  (259) 


26o 


AROUND  THE   WORIvD 


rope  of  a  swing  or  by  supporting  himself  against   a   wall.     By  these  frightful 
penances  they  expect  to  win  happiness  in  the  life  to  come. 

Brilliant  Scenes. 

Along  the  Elphinstone  Circle  and  the  Esplanade,  Bombay  presents  one  of  the 
most  brilliant  street  scenes  in  the  world.  Some  of  the  improvements  compare 
favorably  with  those  in  Vienna,  Berlin,  Paris  or  London,  and  the  beautiful 
gardens,  handsome  statuary  and  ornamental  fountains  add  no  little  to  the  general 
effect.     Many  of  the  broad  roads  are  lined  with  oleanders,  magnolias,  laburnums, 

jasmines,  orange  and 
lemon  trees,  and  the 
white,  scarlet  and  yel- 
low honeysuckles  and 
other  bright  creepers 
often  completely  cover 
the  walls  and  fences. 

A  delightful  sail 
of  ten  miles  from  the 
city  brought  me  to  the 
Island  of  Eleplianta, 
six  miles  in  circum- 
ference, where  are 
found  the  celebrated 
rock  caves,  for  so  many 
centuries  the  holy 
temples  of  worship. 
The  entrance  and 
walls  of  the  main  Cave 
of  Eleplianta  are  sup- 
ported by  elaborately  carved  pillars,  hewn  out  of  the  native  rock,  and  the  sombre 
chambers  are  decorated  by  numerous  idols  that  give  proof  of  the  sensual  supersti- 
tion, as  well  as  the  unique  art  of  these  religionists  of  ages  gone,  whose  faithful 
successors  are  here  to-day. 

An  Asylum  for  Animals. 

The  members  of  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  would 
enjoy  a  visit  to  the  Asylum  for  Aged  and  Decrepit  Animals  at  Bombay,  where 
birds  and  beasts  are  as  carefully  nursed  as  are  human  beings  in  well-appointed 
hospitals.  The  establishment  was  founded  by  a  wealthy  native,  and  here  bullocks, 
cows,  horses,  dogs,  cats  and  birds,  otherwise  homeless,  find  excellent  care,  tbod 
and  shelter. 


DR.  TUPPER  AT  JEYPORE,  INDIA. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


261 


These  animals  are  never  killed,  and  it  matters  not  how  aged  or  badly  injured 
they  are,  an  experienced  doctor  and  nurse  give  them  every  attention  until  nature 
ends  their  lives.  The  kind  consideration  shown  all  animals  through  the  East, 
especially  in  India,  is  marked,  indeed,  and  this  fact  accounts  for  the  tameness  of 
these  creatures  on  the 
streets  of  all  the  large 
cities.  In  a  hotel  at 
Allahabad  I  made  my 
toilet  in  the  morning 
while  two  bright-plu- 
maged  birds  were  hop- 
ping on  ni}'  floor,  and 
on  several  occasions  I 
have  dined  while  rooks 
were  perched  in  the 
open  windows  of  the 
dining-room,  looking 
at  me  with  their  heads 
turned  to  one  side,  as 
if  to  say,  "  Hurr}-  up, 
there;  my  turn  next!" 
If  I  was  an  American 
cat,  rat  or  jaybird  and 
possessed  my  present 
knowledge  of  the  world, 
I  would  hie  to  the  land 
of  the  Hindu  and 
defend  his  religion  with 
all  my  teeth  and  claws. 

Famine  in  India. 

Human  1  i  f e  has 
received  far  less  atten- 
tion in  India  than  brute 
life.  The  horrors  of  fam- 
ine have  overshadowed 
the  land,  and  if  it  were 

not  for  the  information  given  to  the  world  by  Americans  there  would  be  great 
ignorance  on  the  subject,  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  aid  rendered  by  Americans  the 
list  of  those  who  have  died  of  starvation  would  be  much  longer.      As  in  the 


BUDDHIST   PKIESTF.S.S. 


262  AROUND   THE   WORI^D 

famine  oi   1877-7S  millions  of  these  miserable  beings  starve  to  death  without  the 
knowledge  of  the  government. 

Twenty  years  ago  Lord  Lytton,  then  viceroy,  declared  in  a  public  address  tnat 
only  three  or  four  persons  in  all  India  had  died  for  lack  of  food,  while,  it  was 
proved  afterward,  that  in  the  district  where  he  spoke  sixty  thousand  persons  were 
starving  at  the  very  time  of  his  optimistic  deliverance.  That  famine  was  not  so 
widespread  as  the  one  that  has  lately  afflicted  this  unfortunate  people.  It 
raged  eighteen  months;  two-thirds  of  the  entire  country  was  affected  by  the  terrible 
scourge,  and  the  number  of  victims,  according  to  Renter's  agent  in  India,  exceed 
eight  million!  Boarding  a  train  at  Bombay,  within  a  few  hours'  ride  beyond  the 
Ghats,  or  mountain-range,  north  of  the  metropolis,  you  enter  upon  a  parched 
desert  of  yellow-brown  soil  which  is  the  home  of  millions  of  human  souls,  and 
which  extends  for  thousands  of  square  miles,  its  hard  and  grassless  surface  relieved 
now  and  then  by  the  mango  tree  and  collection  of  mud  huts,  with  thatched  roofs, 
about  which  are  huddled  groups  of  emaciated  human  beings.  A  few  miles  away 
from  the  railroad  you  are  attracted  here  and  there  b}'  the  gruesome  sight  of 
skeletons  of  men,  women  and  children,  glistening  and  bleaching  in  the  sun,  and 
no  one  knows  and  no  one  cares  who  they  were.  No,  this  cannot  be  true;  for  far 
across  the  Pacific  have  come  to  famine-stricken  India  tokens  of  a  universal  IcK'e  and 
sympathy.  In  the  pulpit,  on  the  platform,  and  through  the  press  earnest  appeals 
have  been  made  throughout  America  for  India's  starving  millions  ;  and  no  efforts 
in  this  line  have  been  more  prompt,  more  eloquent  and  more  successful  than  those 
that  have  been  made  through  the  columns  of  the  Chfisfian  Herald.  Dr,  Klopsch, 
the  proprietor  of  this  journal,  with  his  characteristic  energy  and  foresight,  early 
took  in  the  dreadful  situation,  and  b}'  means  of  his  widely-circulated  paper  he  has 
raised  in  corn  and  money  nearly  $300,000,  which  has  been  distributed  b}'  over 
sixt}"  missionaries  in  the  famine  district.  Free  shipment  of  corn  was  allowed  by 
Congressional  action  ;  the  "  City  of  Everett,"  loaded  with  provisions,  sailed  from 
the  Pacific  coast,  and  through  the  Christian  Herald  Commissioner  and  the  Inter- 
denominational Relief  Committee  (of  which  Bishop  Thoburn  was  chairman)  the 
distribution  of  money  and  provisions  was  ably  managed. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


FAREWELL   TO   INDIA,   GREETING   TO   EGYPT. 

OR  a  number  of  days  our  steamer  plowed  through  the  waters  of 
the  Arabian  and  Red  seas  from  Bombay  to  Suez,  and  the 
monotony  of  the  long  trip  was  relieved  quite  delightfully  by 
the  companionship  of  agreeable  Americans,  Englishmen  and 
Frenchmen,  by  the  entertaining  program  arranged  through  the 
genius  of  the  "  amusement  committee"  day  by  day,  by  the 
appearance  now  and  then  of  the  great  fish  and  strange  birds 
of  these  seas  and  by  our  short  stay  at  Aden,  where  I  enjoyed  a  ten-mile  drive 
through  two  Arabian  villages  and  saw  the  Arab  for  the  first  time  on  his  native 
heath. 

I  am  now  looking  upon  the  narrow  w^aters  of  the  Suez  Canal,  and,  although  the 
cutting  of  this  canal  and  the  repeated  struggles  and  disappointments  of  the  noted 
M.  de  Lesseps  are  old  stories,  I  shall  venture  to  give  some  facts  that  are  of  fresh 
interest  to  me  and  may  be  also  to  my  readers.  It  is  popularly  supposed  that  the 
union  of  the  Red  and  the  Mediterranean  seas  were  not  effected  until  the  famous 
French  engineer  came  upon  the  scene,  but  this  is  a  mistake. 

Planned  by  the  Pharaohs. 

The  Isthmus  of  Suez,  a  neck  of  land  which  joins  Asia  to  Africa,  is  a  little 
over  ninety  miles  wide,  and  modern  investigations  have  proved  that  as  far  back  as 
Rameses  II.,  one  of  the  oppressors  of  the  Israelites,  a  canal  was  cut  partly  through 
the  isthmus.  This  work  was  continued  by  Nekan  (B.  C.  6io),  Darius  and 
Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  and,  still  later,  the  completed  canal  joined  the  two  seas. 

During  the  middle  ages  several  unsuccessful  attempts  were  made  to  cut  a  new 
canal,  but  no  serious  effort  was  made  until  the  year  1798,  when  Napoleon 
Bonaparte  directed  M.  Lepere  to  survey  the  route  across  the  neck  of  land,  but  after 
great  waste  of  time  and  money  the  report  was  sent  to  the  French  Emperor  that, 
as  the  difference  between  the  levels  of  the  Red  Sea  and  the  Mediterranean  was 
thirty-three  feet,  it  would  be  impossible  to  build  a  canal  that  would  prove  to  be 
of  permanent  benefit. 

The  New  Canal. 

Not  until  the  year  1846  was  it  found  that  the  level  of  the  two  seas  is 
practically  the  same,  and  in  the  year  1854  M.  de  Lesseps  laid  his  plans  for  a  canal 
before  Said  Pasha;  two  years  afterward  they  were  sanctioned,  and  two  years  later 


264 


AROUND   THE    WORLD 


the  work  began.  The  canal  leads  into  several  lakes.  The  filling  of  the  Bitter 
Lakes  with  sea-water  from  the  Mediterranean  was  begun  on  the  eighteenth  of 
March,  1869,  and  the  whole  canal  was  opened  for  traffic  on  November  16  of  the 
same  year.  An  enthusiastic  engineer,  in  whose  company  I  spent  some  time,  gave 
me  some  interesting  details  on  the  subject  of  the  construction  of  this  important 
commercial  highway. 

The  channel  which  leads  into  the  canal  at  the  Suez  end  is  three  hundred  j^ards 
across  in  the  widest  part,  the  average  width  of  the  dredged  canal  is  about  ninety 
feet,  and  the  average  depth  is  about  twenty-eight  feet. 

On  a  mound   nearly  half-way  between  Suez  and  Shaluf  are   granite  blocks 

bearing  traces  of  cuneiform 
and  hieroglyphic  inscriptions 
recording  the  name  of  Darius, 
and  these  are  evidently  the 
remains  of  one  of  a  series  of 
buildings  erected  along  the 
line  of  the  old  canal,  wdiich 
was  restored  and  probably 
completed  b}-  Darius. 

Records  of  Persian  Work. 

While  digging  the  canal 
M.  de  Lesseps  and  his  work- 
men   found  the  ruins  of  sev- 
eral    buildings    which    have 
thrown  light  upon   the  subject  of  ancient  architecture,  and  some  of  the  granite 
slabs  excavated  by  him  and  his  associates,  inscribed  with  the  names  of  Darius 
and  other  distinguished  characters  of  history,  are  held  as  precious  relics. 

The  track  of  the  canal  through  the  Bitter  Lakes  is  marked  b}'  a  double  row  of 
buoys.  The  distance  between  each  buoy  is  about  three  hundred  and  thirty  yards, 
and  the  space  between  the  two  rows  is  thirty  feet.  After  passing  out  of  the  lake 
channel  into  the  canal  proper  you  enter  what  is  known  as  the  plain  of  El-Gisr, 
or  the  "bridge,"  which  is  fifty -five  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  through 
this  a  channel  eighty  feet  deep  had  to  be  cut. 

A  few  miles  further  a  more  remarkable  formation  is  .seen.  It  is  a  height 
between  the  lakes  of  Bahah  and  Menzaleh,  and  as  it  forms  a  natural  bridge  it  is 
supposed  that  over  this  passed  the  invading  armies  that  entered  Egypt,  which 
supposition  gave  rise  to  the  name,  "  The  Bridge  of  Nations." 

The  town  at  the  Mediterranean  entrance  is  called  Port  Said,  in  honor  of  Said 
Pasha.     Its  harbor  and  two  breakwaters  are  wonderful  pieces  of  workmanship. 


DR.    TUPPER  AND   FRIENDS   SAILING   UP   THE   RED  SEA. 


WITH  KYES   WIDE  OPEN.  265 

The  breakwater  on  the  east  is  over  a  mile,  and  the  one  on  the  west  is  still  longer, 
and  the  latter  is  lengthened  yearh-  to  protect  the  harbor  from  the  mud-carrying 
current  which  always  flows  from  the  west  and  would  block  up  the  canal  but  for 
the  breakwater. 

The  Great  French  Engineer. 

We  are  convinced  that  the  completion  of  the  canal  is  due,  perhaps,  less  to 
originality  of  conception  than  to  the  intensit)'  of  conviction  and  invincible 
perseverance  of  the  great  engineer,  whose  faith  in  his  enterprise  seemed  to  remove 
mountains,  and  whose  magnetic  personalit}-  appealed  successfully  at  last  to  those 
who  were  at  first  his  most  persistent  antagonists.  The  British  government  was 
resolutely  hostile  to  the  scheme;  the  Ottoman  Porte,  the  real  suzerain  of  Egj'pt, 
partly  influenced  by  the  attitude  of  England,  and  partly  by  its  dislike  to  anything 
tending  to  possible  complication  within  the  bounds  of  its  own  dominions,  did 
everything  in  its  power  to  discourage  the  affair;  the  leading  engineers  in  Europe 
declared  against  the  practicability  of  the  enterprise,  and  their  adverse  verdict  did 
much  toward  sealing  the  coffers  of  European  capitalists,  and,  worst  of  all,  as  so 
often  is  the  case  in  important  matters  with  us  all,  those  to  whom  he  confided,  and 
upon  whom  he  absolutely  depended,  failed  him  at  the  critical  moment. 

But  M.  de  Eesseps  seemed  never  daunted  by  the  political  and  financial 
difficulties  which  lay  in  his  path,  and  with  that  power  of  persuasion  that  in  his 
latter  years  led  him  to  make  some  fatal  mistakes,  he  convinced  the  Vicero}'  of 
Egypt  that  his  reign  would  be  made  glorious  b}^  granting  the  powers  for  the 
construction  of  the  canal;  he  persuaded  the  French  people  to  embark  their  savings 
ill  a  foreign  and  romantic  undertaking;  he  inspired  with  his  hopeful  enthusiasm 
his  engineers,  contractors  and  every  member  of  his  staff,  and,  indeed,  his  magnetic 
influence  extended  from  the  throne  to  the  trowel;  from  the  Arab  sheiks  to  the 
humblest  laborer. 

I  am  told  that  up  to  the  moment  the  canal  was  opened  it  was  thought  by 
some  who  posed  as  experts  that  the  largest  steamers  would  be  unable  to  navigate 
its  waters,  and  at  best  it  would  only  become  a  channel  through  which  barges 
might  be  towed  with  goods  in  competition  with  the  Egyptian  Railway. 

New  Era  in  Commerce. 

The  opening  of  the  canal  marked  a  new  era  in  the  commercial  life  of  Europe. 
Heretofore  the  long  and  expensive  route  by  the  way  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
was  taken  by  steamers  from  London  to  the  ports  in  India,  China  and  Japan,  but 
now  scores  of  days  and  thousands  of  miles  can  be  saved  by  this  narrow  highway 
of  less  than  a  hundred  miles  in  length.  The  distance  from  London  to  Bombay 
via  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  is  10,719  miles,  the  distance  from  London  to  Bombay 
via  the  Suez  Canal  is  only  6274. 


266 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


At  the  opening  of  the  canal,  and  for  several  years  subsequently,  the  dues 
were  levied  at  the  rate  of  ten  francs  ($2.00)  on  the  registered  or  net  tonnage  of 
steamers,  but  in  1S72  the  company  determined  to  levy  the  same  toll,  not  on  the 
net,  but  on  the  gross  tonnage  of  all  vessels.  But  as  ships  had  been  built  and 
capital  invested  largeh^  on  the  strength  of  the  canal  charges  levied  on  the  princi- 
p^le  of  ten  francs  on  net  tonnage,  there  arose  serious  complaints.  Strong  appeals 
were  made  to  the  English  government  to  protect  British   interests;  the  Message- 


THE    PORT   OF    ISMAILIA,   OX    THE   SUEZ    CANAI,. 

ries  Maritimes  of  France  and  other  foreign  companies  protested  against  the  change; 
an  international  commission  was  appointed  by  the  Ottoman  Porte  to  determine 
the  basis  on  which  dues  should  be  levied,  and,  after  some  delay,  a  compromise 
was  effected,  which  seemed  to  satisfy  the  interested  parties. 

Cost  of  the  Canal. 

The  amount  of  ^16,000,000  is  often  quoted  as  the  entire  cost  of  the  construc- 
tion of  the  canal,  but  this  is  not  correct.  To  this  enormous  sum  must  be  added 
the  amount  of  the  indemnity  paid  b}^  the  Egyptian  government,  according  to  the 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN.  267 

award  of  the  Emperor  of  France  in  1864,  for  the  retrocession  of  territory  and 
other  privileges,  and,  as  this  indemnity  amounted  to  nearly  ^4,000,000,  the  total 
for  constructing  the  canal  aggregated  ^20,000,000,  or  about  $100,000,000. 

On  account  of  the  narrowness  of  the  canal,  every  five  miles  a  siding  is  pro- 
vided to  enable  ships  to  be  moored  out  of  the  main  channel,  so  that  other  vessels 
may  pass,  and  other  expensive  improvements  have  been  made  in  recent  years. 
But,  apart  from  these  practical  considerations,  the  Suez  Canal  is  of  thrilling 
interest. 

To  open  the  way  for  the  world's  commerce,  the  pickaxe  and  shovel  of  mod- 
em enterprise  have  cut  through  a  region  enriched  by  the  memory  of  the  greatest 
events  of  histor\-.  On  either  side  of  the  canal  stretches  the  plain  where  Abraham, 
four  thousand  j-ears  ago,  wandered  from  far-awa}^  Ur,  of  the  Chaldees;  not  far 
from  this  spot  are  the  ruins  of  ancient  Zoan,  where  Moses  performed  his  miracles; 
nearby  is  where  the  host  of  Pharaoh  perished  through  the  sudden  rising  of  a 
southwest  gale,  and  thus  this  narrow  ribbon  of  water  links  together  the  great  past 
and  the  greater  present,  pointing,  let  us  hope,  to  a  still  greater  future. 

Three  Egypts. 

Three  Egypts  attract  the  attention  and  elicit  the  interest  of  the  traveler — the 
Egypt  of  the  ancients,  the  Egypt  of  the  "Arabian  Nights,"  and  the  Eg3'pt  of 
modern  enterprise. 

The  first  is  seen  in  excavated  cities,  in  pyramids,  temples  and  tombs;  the 
second  is  witnessed  in  the  strange  scenes  of  the  narrow  streets  of  portions  of 
Cairo  and  in  the  queer  towns  of  the  country  districts,  and  the  last  displays  itself 
along  the  Suez  Canal  and  in  the  commercial  din  of  modernized  Alexandria. 
You  recall  the  words  of  the  Jewish  physician  in  the  story  of  "  The  Hump- 
back: "  "  He  who  has  not  seen  Cairo  has  not  seen  the  world.  Its  soil  is  gold,  its 
Nile  is  a  wonder,  its  women  are  like  the  black-eyed  virgins  of  Paradise."  While 
we  may  differ  from  the  opinion  thus  expressed,  we  must  agree  that  as  we  visit  the 
labyrinth  of  narrow  lanes  which  intersect  the  mediaeval  city,  sights  appear  in  this 
Mohammedan  capital  that  cannot  be  duplicated  in  all  the  world. 

In  Narrow  Streets. 

Passing  down  the  winding  alleys,  where  a  tiny  patch  of  sky  marks  the  nar- 
row space  between  the  lattice  windows  of  the  over-hanging  upper  stories,  crowded 
and  jostled  by  a  swarming  mass  of  human  beings,  camels,  asses  and  donkeys,  we 
can  readily  imagine  ourselves  in  the  gateway  of  Ali  of  Cairo.  We  can  nearly 
hear  the  Three  Kalenderis  entertaining  the  portress  and  her  fair  sisters  with  the 
history  of  their  lives,  and  if  we  come  this  way  by  night,  we  would  not  be  much 


i26S) 


STREET  IN  MODERN   CAlKu. 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN.  269 

surprised  to  see  the  good  Harun-al-Rasliid  liimself,  coming  stealthily  on  his  mid- 
night rambles,  with  Jaafer  at  his  heels  and  black  Mesrur  clearing  the  way.  The 
histories  of  the  Thousand  and  One  Nights  are  enacted  every  day  upon  these 
streets,  and  the  truth  of  to-day  is  stranger  than  the  fiction  of  yesterday. 

Bazaars  and  Public   Buildings. 

I  have  just  returned  from  a  five-mile  walk  up  the  street  called  "  Muski  "  and 
through  the  native  bazaars.  Here  is  the  Norman-looking  eleventh  century  gate 
of  the  old  Fatimi  city;  yonder  is  tlie  Mosque  of  El-Hakim,  the  mad  founder  of 
the  Druse  superstition;  there  is  the  exquisite  tomb  of  Kalaun.  Now  the  x\zhar 
University  is  passed,  where  2000  students  from  all  parts  of  Asia  and  Africa,  even 
from  distant  Sierra  Leone,  are  taught  gratuitousl}'  by  professors  learned  in  the 
erudition  of  the  Egj'ptians.  Here  the  massive  gate  Zawila  is  passed,  where  the 
people  still  offer  mysterious  trophies  of  hair  and  teeth  to  the  famous  saint  who  is 
believed  to  hide  behind  the  door,  and  where,  in  15 17,  the  Turkish  conqueror  of 
Egypt,  Selim  the  Grim,  hung  the  last  of  the  Mamluke  Sultans  by  his  neck  until 
he  breathed  his  last;  and  just  beyond  is  the  Sultan  Hasan's  mosque,  the  largest 
in  Cairo,  with  its  splendid  arches  and  .spire-like  minarets. 

Picturesque  Costumes. 

In  picturesqueness  of  costume  the  peoples  5'ou  meet  on  the  Esbekyeh  or  Broad- 
way of  Cairo  lead  the  world.  Instead  of  the  abominable  trousers  and  buttoned 
coats  of  the  Europeans  5-ou  are  greeted  by  the  graceful  turban  and  flowing  robes 
that  remind  you  of  the  classic  antique. 

Before  the  walk  is  over  you  have  passed  and  repassed  representatives  of  nearly 
every  nation  under  the  skies,  and  your  mind  is  confused  with  images  of  green- 
turbaned  sherifs,  or  descendants  of  the  Prophet  Mohammed,  blue-turbaned  Copts, 
red-fezzed,  frock-coated  officials,  extremely  naked  children,  sedate  professors  with 
snowy  coils  of  muslin  round  their  shorn  skulls,  tradesmen  in  striped  kaftans, 
squatting  cross-legged  in  their  little  boxes  of  shops,  solemnly  puffing  at  their 
chibuks  or  narghilas,  and  the  endless  number  of  donkeys,  carrying  upon  their  tiny 
backs  and  pipe-stem  legs  enormous  loads,  big,  laz}^  men,  or  a  balloon  of  black 
silk,  which  nearly  extinguishes  the  little  trotting  creature,  and  which,  from  the 
pair  of  lustrous  black  eyes  shining  above  a  white  face  veil,  you  speculate  to  be  a 
Turkish  lad}-. 

Now  and  then  a  "  clear-the-way  "  cry  is  heard,  and  here  comes  dashing  along 
a  handsome  equipage,  preceded  by  runners  gorgeously  dressed  and  carrying  long 
white  wands  in  their  hands. 


< 

m 
< 

<; 


(270) 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


271 


Among  the  Shops. 

But  the  candle  and  rose  bazaars  have  greater  attractions  for  us.  In  these 
famous  alleys  the  old  Turk,  with  flowing  caftan  and  pure  white  turban,  from  his 
dark    dingy  shop  dispenses  delicious  odors,  m}^sterious  pastes  and  essences,  with 


-TJ- 


LOWER    CI.ASS    WOMAN,    C.\IRO. 


kohl  for  the  eyes  and  henna  for  the  fingers;   the  roaming  peddlers  patronizingly 
offer  vou  sandal- wood  fans,  beads,  trinkets,  gaudy  Syrian  crapes,  Egyptian  sweet- 


272 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


meats,  fruit  in  baskets  balanced  on  their  heads,  colored  slippers  of  kid  and  satin, 
elaborately  wrought  in  gold,  silver  and  gilt,  turned  up  at  the  toes,  and  wonder- 


A.   MORNING    RIDE. 


ful  pipes  of  every  description,  with  graceful  stems  of  carved  amber.     From  this 
.scene  we  pass  into  another  quite  different. 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN. 


273 


Saracenic  Architecture. 

Before  you   loom  up  the  stately  line   of  mosques,  which  present  the  most 
beautiful  and  continuous  series  of  Saraceuic  mouuments  in  the  world.     They  show 


DANCE    GIRL,   CAIRO. 

us  the  chaste   and  restrained  stage  of  Art   between  the  over-elaboration  of  the 
Alhambra  and  the  heaviness  of  the  Mohammedan  architecture  of  India. 
iS 


274  AROUND  THE  WORLD 

The  study  of  the  cloistered  mosques  requires  several  days  at  least.  Separated 
not  far  apart,  you  find  the  ruined  but  beautiful  Ibn-Tulun  (ninth  century),  the 
spacious  Azhar  and  El-Hakim  (tenth  century),  and  among  transept  or  cruciform 
mosques  Kalaun  (thirteenth  century),  Sultan  Hasan  and  Kait  Bej'  (fourteenth 
century), which  are  found  eastward  out  of  the  city  among  that  wilderness  of  tawney 
domes  and  minarets,  miscalled  the  "Tombs  of  the  Khalifs."  In  every  mosque 
here  is  an  inlaid,  carved  or  painted  niche  in  the  wall,  indicating  the  kibla  or 
direction  of  Mecca.  Round  this  niche  centres  the  best  decorations — mosaics  of 
marble  and  porphyry  of  ivory  and  mother-of-pearl,  wood  and  plaster  carving, 
stained  glass  set  in  cunningly,  shaded  borders  and  Kufic  inscriptions,  and  near  by 
is  the  pulpit,  frequently  a  splendid  piece  of  carved  and  inlaid  paneling,  arranged 
in  complicated  geometrical  patterns,  and  in  front  stands  the  lectern  or  platform, 
where  the  Koran  is  recited. 

Mohammedan  Homes  and  Women. 

While  many  of  the  columns  of  the  cloisters  are  Roman  in  style,  the  domes 
and  minarets  w'ere  first  used  in  Egypt  before  they  were  known  in  Europe.  A 
glimpse  of  the  interior  of  a  good  Mohammedan  residence  reveals  the  skillful  use  of 
paneling  and  tiles,  the  rich  effects  of  facets  of  stained  glass,  and  the  mazy  inter- 
twinings  of  the  latticed  meshrebuja,  but  very  few  visitors  are  allowed  to  go  beyond 
the  inner  court,  round  which  the  house  is  always  built,  where  the  windows  are 
thicklj'  webbed  with  carved  and  turned  lattice-work,  through  which,  now  and  then, 
you  can  detect  female  eyes,  fringed  with  kohl,  peering  at  the  intruder.  How 
wretched  must  be  these  Mohammedan  women  ! 

They  have  no  mental  resort;  education  is  unknown  among  them;  they  are 
entirel}' shut  out  from  all  society;  it  is  a  disgrace  for  them  to  show  their  faces; 
they  know  no  such  thing  as  conjugal  love,  and,  perhaps,  the  worst  cross  of  all  to 
them,  they  can  only  see  what  is  going  on  in  the  outside  v/orld  through  the  medium 
of  stolen  glances  ! 

At  the  Citadel. 

We  now  stand  on  the  great  parapet  of  the  magnificent  Citadel  of  Cairo,  where 
Saladin  stood  when  he  had  built  the  fortress.  The  sweep  of  vision  takes  in  all  of  the 
"  Mother  of  the  World  ;"  miles  away  can  be  seen  the  mighty  pyramids,  standing 
against  the  deep-blue  sky,  and  far  in  the  distance  you  can  trace  the  historic  Nile 
until  it  is  lost  in  the  sands  o  the  Arabian  Desert.  Just  below  you  is  the  narrow 
passage  where  Mohammed  AH  massacred  the  Mamlukes;  yonder  is  the  gate 
through  which  a  handful  of  dragoons  rode  on  September  14,  1SS2,  in  the  face  of 
eight  thousand  of  Arabi's  followers,  and  spread  beneath  us  is  a  labyrinth  of 
crumbling  flat-roofed  houses  and  green  shady  courts,  overtopped  by  hundreds  of 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN. 


275 


chiseled  domes  and  tapering  minarets,  whence  the  evening  call  to  prayer  may  now 
be  heard  resounding  from  the  muezzin's  throat:    "  AlJalnc  Akbar.'"     There  is  no 


god  but  God.      Mohammed  is  the  Apostle  of  God. 
salvation.     Allalm  Akbar  L.ailaha  illa-llah. 


Come  to  pra3'er.      Come  to 


276  AROUND  THE   WORLD 

With  the   Dervishes. 

On  Friday,  at  i  o'clock,  a  sacred  day  and  hour,  we  beheld  the  ridiculous 
performances  of  the  whirling  and  howling  dervishes.  Mingled  feelings  of  pity, 
amusement  and  disgust  possess  one  as  these  senseless  antics  are  w^atched.  Upon  a 
raised  platform  a  ring  is  made  of  mats  upon  which  thirty  or  forty  of  these  long- 
haired, half-nude  howlers  sit,  with  wagging  heads,  until  the  monotonous  notes  of  a 
fife  and  a  sort  of  Chinese  tom-tom  break  the  silence,  and  now  led  by  the  patriarch 


dance;  of  the  dervishes. 


in  the  centre,  both  lungs  and  each   particular  muscle  of  every  man  are  put  into 
vigorous  exercise. 

The  first  motion  is  that  of  throwing  the  head  and  upper  portion  of  the  body 
forward  and  bringing  it  back  with  a  sudden  jerk,  which  would  ordinarily  break  a 
man's  neck,  but  which  seems  to  make  these  creatures  more  livel}',  and,  encouraged 
by  the  success  of  this  first  feat,  they  enter  upon  a  series  of  vocal  and  gymnastic 
exhibitions  that  are  only  terminated  when  their  brains  seem  to  be  addled  and 
physically  they  are  completely  exhausted.     But  before  these  afflictions  befell  me  I 


WITH  EYEvS  WIDE  OPEN. 


277 


quietly  departed.  A  short  and  pleasant  excursion  was  made  to  the  Island  of 
Roda,  where  we  were  shown  the  identical  spot  (!)  where  Moses  was  rescued  by  the 
King's  daughter,  and  the  nilometer,  which  marks  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  Nile,  but 
a  donkey  ride  of  eight  miles  to  the  famous  ostrich  farm  afforded  greater  pleasure. 
Fourteen  hundred  and  fifty  of  these  immense  African  fowls  are  kept  in  walled 
yards,  and  they  can  be  seen  at  every  age,  from  the  awkward  little  creature  that 
has  just  broken  the  immense  egg  to  the  giant  black-  plumaged  male  ostrich 
twenty-five  years  of  age. 


TKMPI,K   AT   ABYD03. 


CHAPTKR  XIV. 
THE    HISTORIC  NILE  AND  THE   EXCAVATOR'S    PICKAXE. 

I^^OR  weeks  I  have  been  looking  upon  walls  that  are  books.     From 
.jnf        their  elaborate  picture-writings  we  learn  the  daily  life,  the  religion 


and  the  superstitions  of  the  people  who  were  buried  from  four  to 
^  ;-/<u  ^     gyg  thousand  years  ago. 

j\^^*^  It  is  ni}'  purpose,  in  this  chapter,  to  give  a  partial   account  of 

-^  my  brief  investigations   of  these   excavated   cities  and  temples  of 

Egypt  that  are  throwing  so  much    light  just  now   upon   the  past   records  of  this 
wonderland  of  history. 

About  five  miles  northeast  of  Cairo  is  a  little  village  built  upon  part  of  the 
site  of  the  ancient  town  of  Heliopolis,  called  "  On  "  in  Genesis,  the  "  House  of 
the  Sun  "  in  Jeremiah,  and  here  may  be  seen  the  sycamore  tree,  usually  calkd 
the  "Virgin's  Tree,"  under  which,  tradition  says,  the  Virgin  Mary  sat  and 
rested  with  the  young  child  during  her  flight  to  Egj^pt.  Near  by  stands  an 
obelisk,  sixty-five  feet  high,  set  up  by  Userten  I.,  about  B.  C.  2433. 

Heliopolis. 

This  ancient  city,  whose  ruins  cover  an  area  of  three  miles  square,  played  an 
important  part  in  history.  The  greatest  and  oldest  Egyptian  college  for  the 
education  of  the  priesthood  and  the  laity  stood  here.  During  the  twentieth 
dynasty  the  Temple  of  Heliopolis,  with  its  staff"  of  thousands,  was  one  of  the 
wealthiest  in  all  Egypt.  It  was  here  that  Joseph  married  the  daughter  of  Potiphar, 
a  priest  of  On  (or  Heliopolis),  near  the  Goshen  of  the  Bible.  At  this  place  the 
Mnevis  bull  was  worshiped,  and  here  it  was  that  the  Phoenix,  or  palm  bird, 
brought  its  ashes,  after  having  raised  itself  to  life  at  the  end  of  each  period  of  five 
hundred  years,  and  it  was  round  about  Heliopolis  that  Alexander  the  Great 
camped  on  his  way  from  Pelusium  to  Memphis. 

Memphis, 

The  ruins  of  Memphis  and  the  antiquities  of  Sakkarah  are  even  of  greater 
interest.  On  the  ground  lying  for  miles  about  these  two  villages  once  stood  the 
glorious  city  of  Memphis,  which  Herodotus  tells  us,  was  built  by  Menes,  the  first 
ruler  of  Egypt. 

(278) 


WITH    EYES    WIDE   OPEN 


279 


The  original  city  was  located  upon  a  fertile  and  well-wooded  tract  of  laud. 
Diodorus  speaks  of  its  green  meadows,  intersected  with  canals,  and  of  their  pave- 
ment of  lotus  flowers.  Pliny  talks  of  trees  there  of  such  girth  that  three  men 
with  extended  arms  could  not  span  them,  and  Martial  praises  the  roses  and  wine 
brought  from  thence  to  Rome. 

About  4000  B.  C.  the  city  reached  a  height  of  splendor  which  was  probably 
never  excelled.      When  Rameses  II.  returned  from  his  wars  in  the  East,  he  set  up 


WATER-WHEEI,   OX   THE   NUE. 

a  statue  of  himself,  which  can  now  be  seen.  Cambyses,  the  Persian,  conquered 
the  city  and  established  his  garrison  there,  and  until  the  founding  of  Alexandria, 
its  power  and  glon,-  were  unexcelled. 

The  colossal  statue  of  Rameses  II.    was  discovered  in  1820.     The  name  of 
Rameses  is  inscribed  on  the  belt  of  the  statue.      On  the  end  of  the  roll  which  the 


28o  AROUND    THE    WORLD 

King  carries  in  his  hand   are  the  words,  "  Rameses,  Beloved  of  Amen,"  and  by 
the  side  of  the  King  are  figures  of  his  daughter  and  son. 

Antiquities  of  Sakkarah. 

The  tract  of  land  at  Sakkarah,  near  the  present  Memphis,  which  formed  the 
great  burial  ground  of  the  ancient  Egyptians  at  all  periods,  is  about  one  and  a 
half  miles  long  and  one  mile  wide,  and  the  most  important  antiquities  to  be  found 
there  are  the  * '  Step  Pyramid, ' '  oblong  in  shape,  with  an  extreme  length  of  396 
feet  and  a  height  of  197  feet,  supposed  to  be  older  than  the  great  pyramids  of 
Gizeh;  the  pyramids  of  the  kings  of  the  fifth  and  sixth  dynasties,  on  which  have 
been  found  some  valuable  inscriptions,  and  from  which  have  been  taken  fragments 
of  the  royal  mummies.  The  tomb  of  Phi,  which  represents  this  confidant  of  the 
king  superintending  all  the  various  operations  connected  with  the  management  of 
of  his  large  agricultural  estates,  with  illustrations  of  hunting  and  fishing  expe- 
ditions, and  the  Apis  mausoleum,  which  contained  the  vaults  where  all  the  Apis 
bulls  that  lived  in  Memphis  were  buried. 

According  to  Herodotus,  "  Apis  is  the  calf  of  a  cov^-  incapable  of  conceiving 

another  offspring,  and  the  Egj'ptians  say  that  lightning  descends  upon  the  cow 

from  heaven,  and  that  from  thence  it  brings  forth  Apis.     The  calf  is  black,  has  a 

square  spot  of  white  on  the  forehead;  on  the  back  the  imprint  of  an  eagle;  in  the 

* 

tail  double  hairs,  and  on  the  tongue  a  beetle." 

Above  each  tomb  of  an  Apis  a  chapel  was  built,  and  on  the  tombs  writings 
have  been  found  that  give  accurate  chronological  data  for  the  history-  of  Egypt. 

On  the  Banks  of  the  Nile. 

But  we  must  turn  toward  the  banks  of  the  historic  Nile,  where  the  most 
important  and  interesting  antiquities  have  been  found.  On  the  east  bank  of  the 
river,  150  miles  south  of  Cairo,  is  the  lonely  Convent  of  the  Virgin  on  the  Bird 
Mountain  (Gebelet-Tayr),  where  the  monks  swing  themselves  down  the  steep 
rock  which  overhangs  the  water,  priding  themselves,  despite  the  discomforts  of 
their  lives,  on  the  fact  that  they  belong  to  the  sleepy  old  Coptic  Church,  which 
has  remained  crusted  in  its  simplicity  for  1500  years,  since  the  council  of  Chalcedon. 

Sailing  down,  or  rather  up  the  Nile,  to  which  nature  has  given  her  own 
unspeakable  loveliness  and  art  and  history  have  added  their  own  inspiring 
associations,  we  pause  only  a  short  while  to  see  the  tombs  where  the  mummied 
"serpent  of  the  Nile"  was  reverently  laid  to  rest  by  the  crocodile  worshipers, 
and  we  take  only  a  lingering  glance  at  Asyut,  the  capital  of  Upper  Eg3'pt,  nestled 
in  the  glowing  Libyan  hills,  for  we  are  bound  for  the  great  temples  of  Egypt  and 
■we  are  not  tempted  to  tarry. 


i4 


a. 

5 
o 


y, 

-I- 


■r. 

■A 


faSr) 


282  AROUND  THE  WORLD 

We  first  reach  beautiful  Abydos — embraced  by  hills,  veiled  in  palm  groves, 
surrounded  by  waving  fields  of  ripening  grain — with  its  noble  ruins  carved  all 
ov^er  with  delicate  reliefs,  wherein  King  Seti  stands  forth,  offering  to  Osiris,  and 
where  the  Tables  of  Kings  is  set  forth,  with  all  their  names,  to  the  joy  of  modern 
scholars. 

Abydos  and  the  flemnonium. 

Abydos,  Thebes  and  Heliopolis  represented  the  homes  of  religious  thought 
and  learning  in  Egypt,  and  Abydos,  especially,  was  the  centre  of  the  great  Osiris, 
the  type  of  the  conflict  between  good  and  evil,  life  and  death,  resurrection  and 
immortality  to  every  pious  Egj'ptian  of  old.  This  sacred  city  is  mentioned  by 
Plutarch,  Athenaeus,  Ptolemy  and  Pliny,  and  Strabo  tells  us  that  at  one  time  it 
was  second  only  to  Thebes.      There  are  two  magnificent  monuments  here. 

The  Temple  of  Seti,  or  the  Memnonium,  is  built  of  fine  white  calcareous 
stone,  the  pillars  are  inscribed  with  religious  scenes  and  figures  of  the  king  and 
the  god  Osiris.  On  the  south  wall  is  an  inscription  in  which  Rameses  II.,  relates 
all  that  he  has  done  for  the  honor  of  his  father's  memory,  how  he  erected  statues 
of  him  at  Thebes  and  Memphis.  The  second  hall  is  supported  by  thirty-six 
columns,  elaborately  sculptured,  arranged  in  three  rows. 

The  scenes  on  several  of  the  walls  set  forth,  with  remarkable  artistic  power, 
royal  ceremonies,  and  in  one  of  the  corridors  is  the  famous  tablet  of  Abydos, 
which  gives  the  names  of  seventy-six  kings  of  Eg^'pt,  beginning  with  Menes  and 
ending  with  Seti  I. 

The  Temple  of  Osiris. 

A  little  to  the  north  of  the  building  of  w^hich  we  have  spoken  is  the  Temple 
of  Rameses  II.,  dedicated  by  this  king  to  the  god  Osiris,  and  it  was  thought  by 
many  distinguished  scholars  to  be  the  famous  shrine  which  all  Egypt  adored,  but 
the  excavations  of  M.  Mariette  proved  that  it  was  not. 

The  fragment  of  a  tablet  containing  the  names  of  Egyptian  kings,  now  in  the 
British  Museum,  came  from  this  temple,  and  the  inscriptions  and  ornamentations 
on  the  walls  are  of  value. 

Our  next  stopping  place  is  over  five  hundred  miles  up  the  Nile,  where  the 
wonderfully  preserved  Temple  of  Denderah  calls  forth  exclamations  of  pleasure. 
Although  it  is  thought  not  to  be  older  than  the  later  Ptolemies,  it  is  the  most 
majestic  monument  that  has  so  far  been  visited  by  us. 

The  names  of  several  of  the  Roman  emperors  appear  on  various  parts  of  the 
temple  ;  the  well-known  portraits  of  Cleopatra  and  Caesarion,  her  son,  are  on  the 
end  wall  of  the  exterior;  a  dromos  of  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  leads  into 
a  portico,  supported  by  twenty-four,  Hathor-headed  columns.  Several  chambers 
show  beautiful  decorations,  and  on  the  highest  ceiling  is  the  famous  "  Zodiac," 


WITH  EYES  WIDE   OPEN. 


283 


which  was  thought  to  have  been  made  in  ancient  Eg3-pt,  but  which  is  disproved 
by  the  inscription  A.  D.  35,   written  in  the  twenty-first  j-ear  of  Tiberius. 

All  through  this  marvelous  structure  we  meet  a  happy  blending  of  Egyptian 
seriousness  with  Grecian  grace,  which  lends  enchantment  to  every  part  of  it. 
We  now  turn  our  faces  again  up  the  river,  and  with  thrilling  anticipations  of  the 


INTERIOR  OF  TEMPtE  OF  ABYDOS. 

fulfillment  of  many  dreams,  we  approach  the  site  of  ancient  Thebes,  "  the  city  of 
a  hundred  gates  "  of  Homer's  verse. 

Wondrous  Thebes. 

Beautiful  for  situation  was  the  ancient  city  of  Thebes. 

The  mountains  on  the  east  and  west  side  of  the  river  sweep  away  from  this 
historic  spot  and   leave  a  broad   plain  on  each   bank  of  several  square  miles  in 


2S± 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


extent.  In  this  \vide  space,  where  modern  Paris  could  stand,  was  located  the 
renowned  city  which  Horner  sings  about  in  his  ninth  Iliad,  and  which  Diodorus, 
who  visited  it  about  B.  C.  57,  tells  us  was  not  only  the  most  beautiful  and  state- 
liest city  of  Egypt,  but  could  not  be  excelled  in  all  the  world. 

Within  her  hundred  gates  were  kept  20,000  chariots  of  war.  The  succeeding 
kings  from  time  to  time  adorned  this  pride  of  their  kingdom  with  monuments  of 
gold,  silver,  ivory,  alabaster  and  granite.  Multitudes  of  colossi  and  obelisks 
were  reared  in   her  streets.      Wonderful   sepulchres  of  the  ancient   kings,  forty- 


OUR    NII,E    BOAT. 

seven  in  number,  excelling  in  grandeur,  according  to  Strabo  (B.  C.  24),  every- 
thing of  the  kind  in  the  world,  were  built  in  her  neighborhood;  and  as  little  by 
little  the  local  god,  Amen-Ra,  became  the  great  god  of  all  Egypt,  his  dwelling- 
place,  Thebes,  gained  in  importance  and  splendor,  reaching  its  highest  point  of 
glory  during  the  rule  of  the  eighteenth  and  nineteenth  dynasties. 

Up  and    Down  the   Nile. 

The  two  great  divisions  of  Egypt  into  Upper  and  Lower,  made  from  time 
immemorial,  and  the  expressions  of  "  up  "  and  "down  "  the  Nile  are  somewhat 
puzzling  to  the  tourist  when  he  first  travels  through  this  land  of  historic  interest. 


1 2S5 ) 


286 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


Toward  the  Mediterranean  Sea  is  known  as  Lower  Egypt,  way  out  toward 
Nubia  is  Upper  Egypt,  and  around  Cairo  and  Alexandria  we  are  down  the  Nile, 
while  way  down  here  at  Assouan,  between  seven  and  eight  hundred  miles  south 
of  the  sea,  we  are  far  up  the  Nile.  Everything  is  decided  by  the  course  of  the 
great  river,  the  river  and  country  toward  its  mouth  is  "  down;"   toward  its  source 

it  is  "up." 

Although  vast  preparations  are  being  made  by  the  British  and  Egyptian 
military  powers  for  the  war  in  the  Soudan,  and  nearly  all  the  boats  on  the  Nile 


THE    NILE'S    DELTA. 

are  being  chartered  by  the  government  for  the  transportation  of  troops,  after 
negotiating  for  some  days,  a  party  of  five  Americans  (including  the  writer)  and  one 
Scotchman  was  formed,  and  securing  a  steam  launch,  manned  by  an  Egyptian 
engineer  and  fireman,  a  Libyan  pilot,  a  Greek  cook  and  steward,  a  Nubian  waiter 
and  a  Soudanese  dragoman,  we  steamed  up  the  river,  passing  numbers  of  boats 
crowded  with  bright  uniformed  and  fierce-looking  militia,  and  after  nearly  two 
weeks  of  life  on  the  water  of  a  stream  that  has  supported  by  its  annual  overflow 
countless  millions  during  the  last  sixty  centuries,  we  are  at  the  extreme  southern 


z 


(2«7) 


288  AROUND  THE  WORLD 

boundarj^  of  Egypt,  surrounded  by  the  evidences  of  a  civilization  that  existed 
four  thousand  years  before  the  commencement  of  the  Christian  era. 

Centre  of  Ancient  Culture. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  the  real  Egypt  is  the  vast  country  outlined  on 
our  maps,  reaching  to  the  Indian  Ocean,  the  Red  Sea,  and  embracing  equatorial 
regions.  It  is  and  was,  even  far  back  in  the  days  of  the  Pharaohs  and  Ptolomies, 
the  valley  of  the  Nile,  from  the  first  cataract,  where  I  am  now  writing,  to  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  shut  in  by  the  Libyan  and  Arabian  deserts. 

In  this  district,  less  than  a  thousand  miles  in  length,  were  centred  much  of 
the  art,  science  and  philosophy  of  the  ancient  world,  and  here  were  reared  those 
time-defying  monuments  which  after  a  burial  of  thousands  of  years  are  being 
resurrected  by  modern  enterprise,  and  to-day  are  the  wonder  of  an  age  that  until 
lately  supposed  that  these  ancients  were  uncivilized  barbarians  who  could  add 
nothing  to  our  boasted  omniscience. 

The  Orientals  compare  the  long,  narrow  valley-  of  the  Nile  and  its  broad, 
triangular- shaped  embouchure  or  delta  to  a  long-stemmed  fan,  and  the  city  of 
Cairo  is  called  the  "brightest  gem  in  the  handle  of  the  green  Egy^ptian  fan." 
Just  before  it  reaches  the  sea  the  river  parts  into  several  streams,  and,  during  flood 
time,  it  pours  700,000,000  cubic  metres  of  water  daily  into  the  Mediterranean 
through  its  different  mouths.  ■ 

Once  clear  of  the  belt  of  salt  lagoons  that  fringes  the  sand  hills  behind 
Alexandria,  the  Delta  spreads  before  us  the  richest  soil  of  Eg3^pt.  The  alluvial 
deposit  washed  down  annually  by  the  flooded  Nile  from  its  gigantic  reservoirs  in 
the  Abyssinian  mountains  nourishes  magnificent  crops,  and  the  spreading  arms  of 
the  river,  the  intersecting  network  of  canals  and  multitudes  of  sakiyas  or  water- 
wheels  regulate  the  distribution  of  the  water  to  perfection. 

Wheat,  maize,  barlej'',  rice,  millet,  beans,  cotton  and  indigo  are  grown  here  in 
luxuriance,  and  a  succession  of  three  crops  in  the  year  is  not  unusual  with  skillful 
farmers. 

The  mud  villages,  with  their  little  white  mosque  and  minaret,  their  pigeon 
towers  and  the  sparse  cluster  of  palms  or  tamarisks  by  the  well,  w^here  women 
and  girls  are  filling  the  great  earthen  pitchers,  which  they  afterward  balance  with 
a  stately  grace  upon  their  heads,  make  a  characteristic  picture,  but  in  the  Delta 
there  is  nothing,  perhaps,  that  need  detain  the  traveler  save  the  wonderful  exca- 
vations and  discoveries  of  the  "  Egypt  Exploration  Fund  "  at  the  Bible  cities  of 
Pithom  and  Zoan  (Tanis)  in  the  land  of  Goshen  and  the  famous  Greek  port  of 
Naucratis. 

At  Pithom  you  may  see  the  ancient  sun-dried  bricks  which  Pharaoh's  task- 
masters set  the  children  of  Israel  to  make  without  straw.     In  this  part  of  the 


t-l 
to 


< 

M 

n 
<: 

as 


o 


(28q) 


290 


AROUND   THE   WORI^D 


country  the  011I3'  town  worth  a  visit  is  Tanta  during  the  great  periodical  festivals 
of  the  Saint  El-Bedawi,  when  revels  take  place  which  are  the  modern  representa- 
tives of  the  Bubastian  orgies  of  which  Herodotus  writes. 

Scenes  of  the  Voyage. 

A  Nile  voj^age,  with  a  small,  congenial  party,  in  a  well-appointed  and  well- 
furnished  boat,  under  our  own  control,  is  one  of  the  most  perfect  forms  of  human 


XHB    VOCAl,   MEMNON. 

enjoyment.  The  charm  is  something  quite  peculiar.  In  all  the  world,  perhaps, 
no  river  shows  such  varying  moods  as  the  Nile,  despite  its  smoothness;  and  the 
exquisite  tints  of  the  scenery,  presenting  a  vivid  contrast  between  the  brown, 
Nile-mud  villages,  fringed  with  palm  groves  and  crowned  with  white  minarets, 
and  the  waving  fields  of  pale-green  corn  or  sweet-scented  bean  and  purple  lupin 
blossom,  are  indescribable. 


X 

H 
5 
< 

V. 


(291) 


292  AROUND   THE   WORI.D 

During  the  day  the  book  that  you  bought  in  Cairo  to  while  away  the  weary 
hours  of  the  long  journey  is  frequently  forgotten  as  you  watch  a  strange-looking 
craft  exactly  after  the  pattern  of  those  used  five  thousand  years  ago,  or  a  long 
line  of  fifty  or  a  hundred  camels,  followed  by  Bedouins  of  the  desert,  attract  your 
attention,  or  you  interestingly  follow  the  movements  of  the  nude  Nubians  as  they 
work  the  shadufs,  lifting  the  leathern  buckets,  filled  with  water  from  the  Nile  over 
three  or  four  terraces  and  dash  the  fertilizing  liquid  into  the  furrows  of  the  fields; 
and  you  lay  aside  your  book  altogether  tow^ard  the  hour  of  sunset,  when  the  color 
which  was  lost  in  the  quivering  white  heat  of  noon  returns  to  clothe  the  land  with, 
hues  of  unspeakable  beauty  and  the  evening  breeze  begins  to  rustle  in  the  palms, 
Avhose  long,  thin  shadows  now  steal  tow^ard  the  stream,  and  a  deep,  violet  haze 
"begins  to  creep  along  the  clefts  and  hollows  of  the  rose-red  range  of  the  Lybian 
laills,  flushing  the  whole  sky  with  the  tender  tints  of  the  after-glow  till  the  twilight 
deepens  under  the  palm  groves  and  the  rippling  river  glides  silentl}^  by  under  the 
twinkling  stars,  as,  one  by  one,  they  dot  the  growing  darkness  of  the  sky,  bright 
liarbingers  of  the  brighter  morn  that  now  shows  her  beaming  face  over  the  track- 
less Arabian  Desert. 

A  Co-operative  System. 

I  find  that  there  is  a  co-operation  of  labor  adopted  by  the  people  of  this  Nile 
Valley  that  has  been  in  existence  for  ages,  and  which  goes  far  toward  the 
solution  of  certain  vexed  questions  that  are  now  giving  Western  nations  no  little 
trouble. 

Besides  small  specified  wages  the  workers  at  the  shadufs  and  water-wheels  get 
a  certain  percentage  of  the  crop;  those  who  do  service  on  the  boats  share  the  profits 
of  the  business,  and  into  every  form  of  labor  this  just  principle  seems  to  enter. 
The  possession  of  land  passes  from  father  to  son.  The  tax  rates  (which,  by  the 
way,  have  caused  nearly  all  the  trouble  in  Egypt  for  so  many  years)  are  now 
decided  by  the  tax  commission  under  British  appointment,  and  there  is  an  air  of 
contentment  and  prosperity  among  the  docile,  simple-hearted  children  of  the  Valley 
of  the  Nile  that  does  not  create  wrinkles  on  their  glossy  black  skin. 

The  Ruins  of  Tliebes. 

For  centuries  these  monuments  of  human  skill  and  pride  were  swallow^ed  in 
the  sand  of  the  desert,  but  during  these  latter  3'ears  they  have  one  by  one  been 
unearthed,  and  to-day  we  can  look  upon  their  magnificent  ruins  and  imagine 
w'hat  they  were. 

After  a  long  dusty  donkey  ride  I  climbed  the  Libyan  hills,  which  here  trend 
away  and  leave  a  beautiful  amphitheatre,  girdled  with  peaked  ramparts  of  yellow 
cliflf  and  smiling  with  golden  harvest  fields  of  ripening  grain  in  the  face  of  the 


W 
0! 

p« 
w 


5h 


1293) 


294 


AROUND   THB   WORI^D 


burning  sun,   and   there    about    me    the    greatness    of  old   Thebes   stood   partly 
revealed. 

There  below  us  on  the  mountain's  side  in  the  terraced  temple  of  Deyr-el- 
bakri,  which  Hashop,  first  of  the  great  queens  of  history,  built  as  the  vestibule 
of  her  tomb.       Lower  down,  on  the  sandy  carpet  of  the  level  plain,  is  the  grand 


KARNAK   IN    RUINS. 

colonnade  which  tells  us  what  a  structure  the  Rameseum,  or  "  Tomb  of  Ozyman- 

dias,"  must  have  been. 

Statue  of  Rameses  the  Great. 

Near  b}^  are  the  battered  blocks  of  what  was  once  the  most  gigantic  figure 

ever  carved  out  of  a  single  granite  rock,  the  statue  of  Ramejes  the  Great, 

"Half  sunk,  a  shattered  visage  lies,  whose  frown 
And  wrinkled  lip,  and  sneer  of  cold  command. 
Tell  that  its  sculptor  well  those  passions  read 

Which  yet  survive,  stamped  on  these  lifeless  things. 
The  hand  that  mocked  them,  and  the  heart  that  fed. 

And  on  the  pedestal  these  words  appear  : 
'  My  name  is  Ozymandias,  king  of  kings, 

Ivook  on  my  works,  ye  mighty,  and  despair.'  " 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN. 
The  Vocal  Memnon. 


295 


Out  in  the  grain  fields,  not  far  from  the  Nile  in  lonely  majesty  and  turning 
their  solemn  gaze  toward    the  east,  sit  side  by  side  those   twin  colossi  one   of 


STATUE   OF   RAMESES. 


■whom  by  a  strange  confusion  with  the  son  of  Tithonus  and  Eos,  the  valiant 
ally  of  the  Trojans,  has  become  famous  forever  as  the  "Vocal  Memnon."  For, 
according  to  tradition  and  the  ancient  poets,  as  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun  smote 


296 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


upon  the  stone  a  sweet  sound,  as  of  a  human  voice,  came  forth,  and  pilgrims  came 
from  afar  to  Egypt  to  hear  Memnon  softly  chant  his  orisen  to  his  mother  the 
rosy-fingered  Morn: 

"  Beneath  the  Libyan  hills 
Where  spreading  Nile  parts  hundred-gated  Thebes." 


The  whole  statue  is  covered  with  the  names  of  the  pilgrims,  from  Sabina,  the 
consort  of  the  Emperor  Hadrian,  to  one  Gemellos,  "who  came  here  with  his 
well-beloved  wife,  Rufilla,  and  his  children. ' ' 


ISI,AND    OF    FHit,J^. 


This  vocal  statue  of  Memnon  is  composed  of  two  parts.  The  lower  and  older 
consists  of  a  single  block  of  sandstone  conglomerate;  the  upper  part  was  broken 
off  by  an  earthquake  in  the  year  27  B.  C,  and  was  not  restored  until  the  reign 
of  Septimius  Severus,  a  number  of  years  afterward. 


INTKRIOR    OF   TKMPtE   EDFOU,   NIt,E. 


(297) 


29S 


AROUND   THE    WORLD 


Tombs  of  the  Kings. 

In  the  steep  hollows  of  the  hills,   a  mile  or  so  awaj',  are  those  marvelous 
"  tombs  of  the  kings,"  discovered  by  Belzoni,  which  are  hewn  out  of  the  living 


fe^ 


K|P- 


,^,  1^' 


OBEI.ISK   AT   I,UXOR. 

rock  mountains.     These  tombs  consist  of  long  inclined  plains,  with  a  number  of 
chambers  receding  into  the  mountain,  sometimes  to  a  distance  of  500  feet. 

Here  lay  the  mummied  bodies  of  Seti  I.  and  a  number  of  the  Rameses,  who 
exerted  such  mighty  influence  on  the  history  of  Egypt,  and  other  rulers,  whose 
dried,  pinched  faces  may  be  seen  in  the  Gizeh  Museum,  in  Cairo. 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN.  299 

Away  yonder  across  the  Nile  (for  ancient  Thebes  extended  along  both  sides 
of  the  river)  we  can  see  the  ruins  of  the  Temple  of  Luxor,  in  the  midst  of  which 
stands  forth  the  obelisk  of  Rameses  II.,  its  fellow  being  in  the  Place  dela  Concorde, 
Paris. 

From  the  Temple  of  Euxor  there  was  an  avenue  of  about  6500  feet  long  and 
eighty  feet  wide,  on  each  side  of  which  was  arranged  a  row  of  sphinxes  leading 
to  the  superb  Temple  or  Temples  of  Karnak,  now  a  wilderness  of  broken  walls 
and  obelisks,  fallen  columns,  mutilated  statues,  with  here  and  there  a  noble 
propylon,  a  stately  column,  or  a  wonderful  wall  painting,  which  tells,  like  the 
sculptured  epic  of  Pentaour,  the  poet,  how  the  king  smote  his  enemies  and  drove 
them  before  his  chariot. 

The  Temples  of  Karnak, 

The  ruins  of  Karnak  are  a  priceless  library,  upon  whose  carved  pages  we 
children  of  these  last  j^ears  can  read  of  the  ancient  raajest}^  of  the  house  of 
Ameu-Ra. 

Under  the  brilliant  Egyptian  moon  and  at  the  hour  when  the  shadows  were 
lengthening  and  the  western  sky  was  crimsoned  by  the  setting  sun,  I  quietly 
studied  these  eleven  shattered  Temples  of  Karnak.  Passing  through  the  second 
and  greater  pylon,  we  enter  the  famous  "Hall  of  Columns."  The  twelve 
columns  forming  the  double  row  in  the  middle  are  sixt}^  feet  high,  and  the  other 
columns,  122  in  number,  are  about  forty  feet  high.  The  court  is  275  feet  deep 
and  338  feet  wide  and  covers  an  area  of  9755  yards. 

The  columns  that  support  the  roof  of  this  hypostyle  hall  are  adorned  by 
calyx  capitals  of  gigantic  proportions,  and  upon  them  are  sculptured  a  record  of 
the  names  and  deeds  of  the  princes  of  the  times  and  the  customs  and  superstitions 
of  the  people. 

"It  is  impossible,"  says  Eepsius,  "to  describe  the  impression  experienced 
by  every  one  who  enters  this  forest  of  columns  for  the  first  time  and  passes  from 
row  to  row,  amidst  the  lofty  figures  of  gods  and  kings,  projecting,  some  in  full 
relief,  some  in  half  relief,  from  the  columns  on  which  the}^  are  represented." 

The  Hall  of  Columns. 

Some  of  the  columns  are  prostrate,  others  lean  as  though  on  the  verge  of 
falling,  and  architrave  and  roof  slabs  seem  on  the  point  of  tumbling,  but  this 
ruinous  condition  of  everything  adds  a  picturesque  charm  to  the  general  impres- 
sion. The  outside  of  both  the  north  and  south  walls  of  the  Hall  of  Columns  are 
ornamented  with  scenes  of  the  great  warriors  moving  against  the  peoples  who 
lived  to  the  northeast  of  Syria  and  in  Mesopotamia. 

The  inscriptions  found  at  Karnak  show  that  from  about  B.  C.  2433  until  the 
time  of  Alexander  IV. ,  B.  C.  312,  the  religious  centre  of  Upper  Egypt  was  Thebes, 


C300) 


INTERIOR    OF   TEVIPLE    OF    KARNAK. 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN.  3or 

and  that  the  most  powerful  of  the  kings  of  Egypt  who  reigned  during  this  period 
spared  neither  pains  nor  expense  in  building,  adding  to  and  beautifying  the 
temples  of  this  place  of  power. 

While  there  is  a  wealth  of  monuments  heaped  together  at  Thebes  and  Mem- 
phis that  cannot  be  equaled,  yet  at  Edfou  is  perhaps  the  most  perfect  single 
temple  in  all  Egypt,  looking  as  though  its  priests  still  offered  sacrifice  to  Horus, 
as  they  did  in  the  days  of  Ptolemy  Philopator.  Except  the  cornice,  the  immense 
pylon  is  entire,  and  the  building  itself  is  as  perfect  nearly  as  when  the  architects 
left  it — thousands  of  years  ago. 

Two  hundred  and  forty  steps  of  a  square  staircase  lead  up  to  the  summit  of 
each  of  its  twin  towers;  the  walls  of  the  temple  are  covered  not  with  epics  of 
battle,  as  at  Karnak,  but  with  the  rites  of  religion,  geographical  lists,  astronomical 
tables,  inventories  of  temples  and  their  lands,  their  priests  and  precentors,  and 
here  we  find  that  the  chisel,  rather  than  the  pen,  has  handed  down  to  coming 
ages  an  Egyptian  encyclopedia. 

The   Island  of   Philie. 

Most  tourists  return  toward  Cairo  after  seeing  the  wonders  of  Thebes,  but 
having  chartered  our  launch  for  nearly  three  weeks,  we  continued  to  the  extreme 
southern  limit  of  Egypt,  a  little  below  the  first  cataract  of  the  Nile. 

At  Assuan  exiled  Juvenal  avenged  himself  in  remorseless  satire.  Here  we 
visited  the  quarries  whence  came  the  material  of  all  the  statues,  obelisks,  shrines 
and  facings  of  tombs,  temples  and  pyramids  at  Thebes,  Memphis  and  Heliopolis, 
and  here,  after  riding  past  old  Kufic  tombstones  and  ruined  mosques  scattered  over 
miles  of  yellow  desert,  we  meet  the  river  again,  and  see  before  us  the  pylon 
of  the  Temple  of  Isis  and  the  imposing  columns  of  "  Pharaoh's  Bed  "  rising  out 
of  the  dark  green  palm  grov^es  of  the  Island  of  Philce. 

As  we  walked  through  and  around  this  Nile-girt  island  we  recalled  that  to 
millions  for  many  centuries  it  was  a  holy  place,  whither  devout  pilgrimages  were 
made  to  pay  homage  to  the  beloved  Osiris.  We  turn  from  these  scenes,  where 
fifty  centuries  strew  their  records  at  our  feet,  astonished  at  the  revelations  of  the 
most  ancient,  and  in  some  respects,  the  most  wonderful  civilization  of  the  world. 

Explorations  of  Professor  Petrie  and  '•  Sayings  of  Christ." 

While  visiting  the  excavated  cities  on  the  Nile,  it  was  my  pleasure  to  see 
Professor  Flinders  Petrie,  the  noted  Egyptologist,  at  work  in  the  rubbish  of  one 
of  his  excavations;  and  it  was  at  this  time  that  the  Professor  brought  to  light  an 
important  tablet,  the  first  which  has  been  found  giving  a  description  of  the  wars 
between  the  Pharaohs  and  the  ancient  Jews.  More  recently  this  gentleman, 
together  with  Drs.  Grenfell   and  Hunt,  and  others,  have  made  noted  discoveries, 


302 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


all  of  which  throw  light  upon  the  customs  and  habits  of  the  ancient  Egyptians, 
and  some  of  them  confirm  Bible  histor}'.  While  at  work  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile 
about  fifty  miles  south  of  Cairo,  Professor  Petrie  found  a  cluster  of  tombs,  dating 


HAI.I,    OF    COI.UMNS,    KARNAK. 


over  five  thousand  years  ago.  The  peculiarity  of  these  tombs  is  that  they  do  not 
contain  any  of  the  mummies  which  are  usually  found  in  Egyptian  tombs;  but 
instead  boxes  containing  only  bones,  wrapped  carefully  in  cloth.     These  tombs 


a 


X 

o 


0, 

s 


1303) 


304 


AROUND   THE   WORLD. 


belong  to  the  fifth  dynasty  of  Egyptian  kings;  and  here  are  found  the  bones  of 
Nenkheftka,  a  prince  and  royal  priest,  and  those  of  his  wife  Nefersen  and  their 
son;  and  as  there  are  statues  found  in  these  tombs,  it  is  thus  known  that  at  a 
period  earlier  than  that  assigned  Abraham,  sculpture  was  a  well-known  art.  While 
exploring  under  the  auspices  of  the  Egyptian  Exploration  Fund,  Bernard  P. 
Grenfell,  M.  A.,  and  Arthur  S.  Hunt,  M.  A.,  discovered  on  the  site  of  the  ancient 
African  city,  Oxyrhynchus,  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  south  of  Cairo,  a 
precious  leaf  containing  the  "  Sayings  of  Christ."  The  date  of  these  "  sayings  " 
is  supposed  to  be  about  A.  D.  200.  The  page  is  written  on  both  sides,  and  is 
evidently  torn  from  a  book,  as  there  is  a  folio  number  on  it;  it  contains  forty-three 
lines,  each  line  consisting  of  about  four  words;  and  of  the  eight  sayings,  two 
cannot  be  deciphered  at  all.  Three  of  the  remaining  six  ' '  sayings  ' '  are  similar 
to  passages  found  in  the  Gospels  of  Matthew  and  Luke;  and  the  remaining  read 
thus:  "  Jesus  saith,  I  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  world,  and  in  the  flesh  was  I 
seen  of  them,  and  I  found  all  men  drunken,  and  none  found  I  athirst  among 
them;  and  my  soul  grieveth  over  the  sons  of  men  because  they  are  blind  in  their 
heart;"  "  Jesus  saith.  Except  ye  fast  to  the  world,  ^-e  shall  in  no  wise  find  the 
kingdom  of  God,  and  except  3'e  keep  the  Sabbath  ye  shall  not  see  the  Father;" 
"  Jesus  saith,  Wherever  there  are  ....  and  there  is  one  ....  alone, 
I  am  with  him.  Raise  the  stone,  and  there  thou  shalt  find  me.  Cleave  the  wood, 
and  there  am  I."  As  this  page  is  apparentl}^  a  part  of  a  volume,  other  parts  may 
be  found  which  will,  doubtless,  add  interest  and  importance  to  the  discovery  of 
this  fragment.  We  hail  with  joy  every  stroke  of  the  excavator's  pickaxe  in  Bible 
lands;  for  as  light  falls  upon  the  buried  memorials  of  the  past,  the  pages  of  both 
secular  and  sacred  history  will  be  illumined. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
THE    PYRAMIDS    OF   EGYPT   AND    THE    ANCIENT    EGYPTIANS. 

HEORISTS  have  discovered,  or  think  they  have  dis- 
covered, many  wonderful  properties  about  the  Pyramids, 
but  we  should  not  lose  sight  of  the  main  fact  that  they 
are  merely  vast  heaps  of  stone,  exquisitely  built  indeed, 
that  mark  the  graves  of  monarchs  who  wished  to  keep 
their  mummied  bodies  inviolate  for  all  time. 

The   Egyptians    built    their   houses  for  the  living 
of   perishable    brick;  they  built  their  houses    for  the 
dead  of  immortal  granite.     There  was  a  reason  for  this, 
founded  upon  their  theory  of  human  life  and  death. 

They  regarded  man  as  composed  of  several  entities,  each  having  its  separate 
life  and  functions.  First,  was  the  body;  then  the  ka,  or  double,  which  was  an 
ethereal  duplicate,  feature  for  feature,  of  the  corporeal  form;  then  was  the  soul, 
which  was  popularly  represented  as  a  human-headed  bird,  and  after  the  soul  came 
the  "  luminous,"  a  spark  from  the  divine  fire. 

By  process  of  embalmment  they  could  suspend  for  ages  the  decomposition  of 
the  body,  and  by  means  of  prayer  and  offerings  the  other  component  parts  were 
saved  from  the  second  death,  thus  causing  prolongation  of  existence. 


Egyptian    Psychology. 

The  "  double  "  never  left  the  body,  but  the  soul  and  the  *'  luminous  "  went 
forth  to  follow  the  gods,  returning,  now  and  then,  to  the  resting  place  of  the 
body.  Thus,  the  tomb  was  called  the  "eternal  house"  of  the  dead,  compared 
with  which  the  houses  of  the  living  were  but  wayside  inns,  and,  therefore,  if 
possible,  these  eternal  houses  were  built  as  durable  as  all  time. 

The  tomb  must  contain  a  private  room  for  the  soul,  which  was  closed  at  the 
time  of  burial,  not  to  be  opened  under  any  circumstances.  It  must  also 
contain  a  wide  passage  or  reception-room,  where  priests  and  friends  made  offerings 
for  the  dead.  Indeed,  the  tomb  was  looked  upon  as  a  permanent  dwelling,  and  it 
was  built  to  promote  the  well-being  and  insure  the  preservation  of  the  dead. 

The  construction  of  the  Pyramids  and  other  imposing  tombs  illustrate  this 
idea,  and  the  success  with  w^hich   these  ancient  Egyptians  preserved  the  mortal 
remains   of   their  royal  dead  is   seen   in    the   mummies  that  retain  their  facial 
expressions  after  these  thousands  of  years. 
20  (305) 


v. 

Q 

s 

> 

PL, 

w 

o 

o 
oi 

M 
< 


o 
ft 
a 
o 


(306  J 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


307 


The  Pyramid  of  Lights. 

The  great  Pyramid  of  Cheops,  at  Gizeh,  the  most  prodigious  of  all  human 
constructions,  covers  thirteen  acres  at  the  base  and  weighs  about  seven  million 
tons.  Originally  it  was  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high,  and  it  is  estimated  that 
the  materials  that  were  used  for  its  construction  would  build  over  twenty  thousand 
eight-roomed  cottages  and  house  a  population  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 

Like  most  of  its  fel- 
lows, it  stands  exactly 
square  to  the  four  points 
of  the  compass.  The  great 
limestone  blocks,  some  of 
them  five  feet  broad  and 
high  and  thirty  feet  long, 
were  brought  from  distant 
quarries,  and  propelled, 
doubtless,  on  rollers  from 
the  river  along  a  well-laid 
causeway  to  their  present 
site.  Mechanical  appli- 
ances, as  well  as  the  art 
of  cutting  and  polishing 
the  hardest  stone,  were 
familiar  to  these  Egyptians 
of  five  thousand  j^ears 
ago. 

Its  Colossal  Dimensions. 

Twenty  years,  Herodo- 
tus tells  us,  the  great 
Pyramid  was  building,  L 
and,  when  it  was  com- 
pleted, instead  of  present- 
ing the  rough  series  of  steps  it  does  now  the  whole  edifice  was  cased  with  shining 
red  syenite,  brought  from  the  first  cataract,  five  hundred  miles  away,  which 
caused  it  to  glisten  so  brightly  that  it  was  known  as  the  "  Pyramid  of  Lights." 
Until  the  Arab  conquest  it  preserved  this  stone  casing,  so  wonderfully  joined  as 
to  appear  like  one  block  from  base  to  summit. 

In  the  inside  everything  was  arranged  so  as  to  hide  the  exact  place  of  the 
sarcophagus  and   thus   bafile  all  would-be   spoilers  of  the  royal  tomb.     It  was 


RAMESES   II. 


3o8 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


necessary  first  to  discover  the  entrance  under  the  casing,  which  masked  it.  This 
was  found  to  be  nearly  in  the  middle  of  the  north  face,  at  the  level  of  the 
eighteenth  course,  about  forty-five  feet  from  the  ground. 


'M 


m 


PYRAMID   OF   CHEOPS. 


When  at  last  the  casing  was  torn  off  and  the  block  of  stone  was  displaced 
which   covered   the   entrance,  an  inclined    passage   41.2    inches   wide   and   47.6 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


309 


inches  high  was  revealed,  the  lower  part  of  which  was  cut  in  the  stone.  This 
descended  for  three  hundred  and  seventeen  feet,  passed  through  an  unfinished 
chamber  and  ended  sixty  feet  further  in  a  blind  passage. 

The  Interior  and  Contents. 

Although  the  spoilers  were  disappointed  here,  by  careful  examination  in  the 
roof,  sixty-two  feet  distant  from  the  door,  a  block  of  granite  was  found  which  shut 
from  view  another  passage. 
Having  passed  this  obstacle, 
they  came  to  an  ascending 
passage  which  divides  into  two 
branches — one  running  into  a 
limestone  chamber  in  the 
centre  of  the  Pyramid;  the 
other,  continuing  upward,  be- 
comes a  gallery  one  hundred 
and  forty-eight  feet  long  and 
twenty-eight  feet  high,  built  of 
Mokattam  stone,  so  polished 
and  finely  wrought  that  we  are 
told  it  was  difficult  to  put  a 
needle  or  even  a  hair  into  the 
joints. 

Another  difficulty  must 
now  be  surmounted.  The  final 
passage  leading  to  the  chamber 
of  the  sarcophagus  was  closed 
by  a  slab  of  granite,  and  fur- 
ther on  was  a  small  vestibule 
divided  in  equal  spaces  by  four 
partitions  of  granite  which 
must  be  broken.  When  at  last 
it  was  reached,  the  royal  sep- 
ulchre was  found  to  be  a  gran- 
ite chamber  nineteen  feet  high,  thirty-four  feet  long  and  seventeen  feet  wide. 

Thus  we  may  see  how  painstaking  these  old  Egyptians  were  to  guard  the 
safety  of  the  body  of  the  great  one  among  them,  and  in  this  and  other  cases  they 
kept  it  untouched  by  human  hands  and  unseen  by  human  eyes  for  ages  and  ages. 
The  mummy  of  the  founder  has  long  since  been  removed,  but  his  stone  cofl&n  is  on 
exhibition. 


A  NILE  belle. 


3IO 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


Queen   Nitocris. 


The  second  pyramid  oi  Gizeh,  built  by  the  brother  of  the  builder  of  the  first 
(according  to  Herodotus),  retains  some  of  its  original  casing  at  the  top,  and  round 
the  third,  the  red  pyramid  of  Menkara,  where  it  is  supposed  once  lay  the  body  of 


S5HINX. 


the  beautiful  Queen  Nitocris,  a  Loreley  legend  has  grown  up;  the  queen's  blushing 
face  caused  her  to  be  confounded  with  the  rosy-cheeked  Rhodopis,  the  Greek 
favorite  of  King  Amasis,  and  superstition  imagines  that  a  fair  but  treacherous 
woman  haunts  the  Red  pyramid  and  bewitches  travelers: 


WITH   EYES  WIDE  OPEN. 


3^1 


"Fair  Rhodope,  as  story  tells, 
The  bright  unearthly  nymph  who  dwells 
'Mid  sunless  gold  and  jewels  hid, 
The  Lady  of  the  Pyramid  !" 

A  short  walk  from  the  great  Pyramid  brings  us  face  to  face  with  a  statue,  the 
most  ancient  known,  that  is  more  of  a  mystery,  if  not  more  of  a  wonder,  than  the 
royal  tomb — the  Great  Sphinx  of  Gizeh. 

An  Old  Monument. 

We  have  historic 
proof  that  it  was  already 
in  existence  in  the  time 
of  the  builder  of  the 
great  Pyramid,  but  its 
real  age  is  unknown.  It 
is  hewn  in  the  living 
rock;  its  battered  bod}- 
presents  but  the  general 
form  of  the  lion,  the 
paws,  and  the  breast, 
restored  by  the  Ptole- 
mies and  the  Caesars, 
retain  but  a  part  of  the 
stone  facing  with  which 
they  were  originally 
clothed.  The  lower 
part  of  the  head-dress 
has  fallen  and  the  neck 
is  badl}'  broken ;  the 
nose  and  the  beard  have 
been  cut  away  and  the 
red  hue  which  enliv- 
ened the  features  is 
almost  wholly  gone. 

But   notwithstand 
ing  the  ravages  of  time 

and  fanatics,  it  has  an  expression  of  strength  and  greatness.  The  eyes  gaze  out 
upon  the  waste  of  desert  sand  with  intense  thoughtfulness,  the  mouth  wears  a 
smile,    and   the  whole  countenance  possesses  power  and  repose. 

The  body  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,   the  head  is  thirty  feet 


DAME   SOUDAI^L. 


312 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


CtEOPATRA    AT    UENUEKAH 


long,  the  face  is  lour- 
teen  feet  wide,  and 
from  the  top  of  the 
head  to  the  base  of  the 
monument  the  dis- 
tance is  about  seventy- 
feet.  The  condition 
in  which  it  now  ap- 
pears is  due  to  the 
barbarous  destruction 
of  its  features  by  the 
Mohammedan  rulers 
of  Egypt,  some  of 
whom  caused  it  to  be 
used  for  a  target. 

We  turn  from  these 
masterpieces  of 
ancient  skill  with  the 
unanswered  and  un- 
answerable question  in 
our  mind:  How  long 
did  it  take  to  arrive  at 
this  degree  of  maturity 
and  perfection  ? 

The 
Ancient  Egyptians. 

During  the  three 
weeks  I  have  been 
studying  the  sculp- 
tures and  monuments 
of  Upper  and  Lower 
Egypt,  the  query, 
whence  came  the  orig- 
inal Egyptians,  has 
been  of  increasing  in- 
terest. There  can  be 
but  little  doubt  that 
the}'  belonged  to  the 
Caucasian    race;    that 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN. 


313 


their  first  home  was  Asia,  and  that  they  made  their  way  across  Mesopotamia, 
Arabia  and  the  Isthmus  of  Suez  into  Egypt. 

Historians  do  not  fix  for  us  a  period  when  these  new-comers  from  the  East 
came  west  of  the  Red  Sea,  but  the  strongest  evidence  points  to  the  remote  age  of 
B.  C.  5000. 

From  carvings  and  inscriptions  excavated  recently  we  have  proof  that  these 
people  from  the  East  found  in  Egypt  a  race  following  agricultural  pursuits, 
navigating  the  Nile  with  their  rude  crafts,  dressing  scantily  and  having  dark  skin. 


CARVING    AT    SAKKARAL. 


This  aboriginal  race  called  the  country  Kamt,  which  means  "black,"  and 
the  name  may  have  originated  either  from  the  complexion  of  the  people  or,  more 
probably,  from  the  dark,  rich  color  of  the  cultivated  land  of  Egypt. 

Bible  Lore  and  Picture    Record. 

The  Bible  gives  the  name  of  "  Ham  "  to  this  country.  The  children  of  Ham 
are  said  to  be  Cush,  Mizraim,  Put  and  Canaan,  and  we  find  that  the  second  of 
these,  Mizraim,  is  the  name  given  to  Egypt  by  the  Hebrews. 

The  descendants  of  Cush  are  represented  on  the  monuments  by  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Nubia  and  the  negro  tribes  which  live  to  the  south  of  that  country.  The 
children  of  Put,  the  third  son  of  Ham,  appear  to  have  dwelt  on  both  sides  of  the 
Red  Sea,  to  the  south  of  Egypt,  carrying  on  a  large  trade  with  the  Egyptians  as 


314 


AROUND  THE  WORLD. 


far  back  as  2500  B.  C,  and  the  descendants  of  Mizraim  are  supposed  to  have  been 
related  to  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  Phoenicia,  called  in  the  Bible  Canaanites. 
Without  a  single  exception  every  representation  of  the  ancient  Egyptian 
depicts  him  as  having  a  slender  form,  rather  broad  shoulders,  long  hands  and  feet, 
sinewy  legs  and  arms,  high  forehead,  square  chin,  short  and  rounded  nose,  jaws 
slightly  protruding  and  hair  fine  and  smooth. 

The  skulls  and  bones  of  mummies  which  anthropologists  have  examined  and 
measured  quite  recently,  support  and  confirm  the  pictures  on  the  tombs,  over- 
throwing utterly  the  theory  that 
the  Egyptian  is,  from  what  we 
understand  by  the  expression,  of 
negro  origin. 

Ancient  and  flodern  Type. 

Several  times  I  have  noticed 
that  the  nose  of  one  of  the  later 
Egyptians,  as  seen  in  the  carv- 
ings, is  slightly  aquiline;  but  this 
is  explained  by  the  intermarriage 
of  the  Egyptians  with  people  of 
Semitic  origin. 

I  have  been  greatly  impressed 
with  the  fact  that  the  Egyptian 
of  to-da}-  is  an  exact  reproduction 
of  his  ancestors  who  lived  fifty 
centuries  ago.  Yesterday  I  was 
accompanied  during  the  day's 
ramble  amidst  the  ruins  of  an 
ancient  temple  by  a  pure  Egyp- 
tian, and  in  his  dress,  attitudes, 
form  and  face  he  was  the  living 


WATER  CARRIER,    CAIRO. 


picture  of  a  figure  that  was 
repeated  over  and  over  again  on 
the  crumbling  walls  which  were 

decorated   twenty   centuries  before  the  Christian  era. 

The  invasions  of  the  Babylonians,  Ethiopians,  Assyrians,  Persians,  Greeks, 

Romans,  Arabs  and  Turks  seem  to  have  had  no  permanent  effect  either  on  their 

physical  or  mental  characteristics,  and  the  type  of  the  Egyptian  fellah  which  we 

meet  to-day  is  just  what  it  was  in  the  earliest  dynasties. 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN. 
The  Feliahin. 


315 


These  Feliahin  compose  four-fifths  of  the  entire  population  of  Eg3'pt,  and  are 
chiefly  employed  in  agricultural  pursuits — indeed,  the  whole  of  the  cultivation  of 
Egypt  is  practically  in  their  hands.  The  Egyptians  represented  on  the  earliest 
monuments  to  which  we  can  assign  a  date  were  already  highly  civilized  and 
possessed  an  alphabetic  system 
of  writing,  a  grammar,  a  govern- 
ment and  a  religion.  Perhaps 
there  are  no  people  in  the  world 
whose  wonderful  history  is  so 
accurately  traceable  in  their  laws, 
customs,  costumes  and  religion 
as  the  Egyptians,  and  much  of 
this  pictorial  record  on  stone, 
after  having  been  buried  from 
the  eye  of  man  for  thousands  of 
3'ears,  is  an  unsealed  volume 
to  the  children  of  the  closing 
years  of  the  nineteenth  century 
of  the  Christian  era. 

Other  Nationalities. 

Besides  the  Feliahin,  of  whom 
we  have  spoken,  about  one-fifth 
of  the  population  of  Egypt  is 
composed  of  Copts,  Bedouins, 
Jews,  Turks,  Negroes,  Nubians, 
AbyvSsinians,  Armenians  and 
Europeans,  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  land  not  exceeding  much 
more  than  seven  millions.  It 
is  estimated  that  there  arc 
about  three  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  Copts  in  Egypt  to-day. 

They  are  descendants  from  the  ancient  Egyptians  and  live  mostly  in  the  cities  of 
Upper  Egypt,  are  engaged  in  the  different  trades,  and  physically  they  are  of  a 
finer  type  than  the  Feliahin.  As  is  well  known,  they  are  famous  in  ecclesias- 
tical history  for  having  embraced  with  remarkable  zeal  and  rapidity  the  doctrines 
of  Christianity  as  preached,  it  is  supposed,  by  St.  Mark  at  Alexandria,  and  before 
the  close  of  the  third  century  many  thousands  of  these  Copts  had  cast  away  the 


YOUNG   NEGRKSS   IN    SOUDAN. 


3i6 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


weird  religion  of  their  fathers  and  embraced  with  enthusiasm  the  gospel  of  the 
Nazarene.  Because  they  held  persistently  to  the  doctrine  that  Christ  had  but  one 
composite  nature  and  denied  that  He  was  both  human  and  divine,  they  were  called 
Monophysites,  but  to-day,  like  many  other  so-called  Christians,  they  are  too  much 
occupied  in  watching  the  main  chance  to  trouble  themselves  on  theological  ques- 
tions. Generally  speak- 
ing, the  knowledge  of  the 
Coptic  language  is  extinct, 
and  the  Arabic  seems  to 
be  spoken  by  them  en- 
tirely. 

The  Bedouins. 

The  Bedawins  (or  Bed- 
ouins) comprise  the  diff- 
erent Arabic-speaking  and 
Mohammedan  tribes  who 
live  in  the  deserts  along 
the  river  Nile,  and 
although  it  is  impossible 
tor  me  to  secure  correct 
statistics  on  the  subject, 
it  is  supposed  that  they 
number  perhaps  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand. 
During  my  trip  of  six 
hundred  miles  up  the  Nile, 
I  rode  for  miles  over  a 
barren  desert,  and  a  sight 
of  these  independent  men, 
living  far  away  from  city  or  village,  confirmed  the  opinion  already  formed  that 
they  are  possessed  of  brave  and  heroic  characteristics.  But  I  have  no  special 
desire  to  meet  them  after  dark,  as  I  hinted  to  my  guide.  The  Nubians  (from 
"nub,"  meaning  "gold,")  live  nearly  altogether  in  Nubia,  extreme  Upper 
Egypt,  v*^hich  was  a  gold-producing  country,  and  they  speak  a  language  that  is 
allied  to  some  of  the  North  African  tongues.  The  negroes,  forming  a  large  part 
of  the  non-native  population  of  Egypt,  are  held  practically  as  slaves  by  the 
natives,  and  the  Turks,  although  comparatively  few  in  number,  hold  many  civil 
and  military  appointments  and  possess  keen  business  instincts.     The  European 


Type  of  the;  negress. 


(31?) 


3i8 


AROUND  THE  WORIvD 


population  in  Egypt  consists  of  Greeks,  about  sixty-five  thousand  ;  Italians,  thirty 
thousand;  French,  fourteen  thousand;  English,  nine  thousand,  and  Germans, 
Austrians  and  Russians,  perhaps  ten  thousand. 

Greek  Merchants. 

In  Alexandria  the  most  prosperous  business  men  are  the  Greek  merchants, 
and  although  it  is  said  that  these  citizens  contribute  most  largely  to  the  crime  of 
the  country,  no  one  can  deny  that  their  commercial  genius  has  made  Alexandria 

the  great  city  that  it  is. 
Yes,  it  is  "great,"  as 
measured  by  the  narrow 
tape-line  of  modern  ma- 
terialistic greatness,  but 
its  ancient  pomp,  power 
and  prowess  have  van- 
ished forever.  The 
shades  of  Alexander  the 
Great!  Where  is  the 
city  that  was  founded  by 
the  world's  might}^  con- 
queror in  332  B.  C.  ? 
Where  is  the  Serapeum, 
the  wonderful  museum, 
the  library  with  its  mil- 
lion volumes  and  the 
magnificent  palaces  and 
temples  ?  Where  are  the 
twin  obelisks  which  Cle- 
opatra stole  from  the 
Temple  of  the  Sun  at 
Heliopolis  ?  One  stands 
in  the  fog  of  London,  the 
other  in  the  flash  of 
Central  Park,  New  York. 
British  guns  and  Euro- 
pean commerce  have 
blotted  out  all  that  told 
of  the  glory  of  the  great 
Alexandria,  by  Alex- 
ni;gro  (SOUDANESE).  audcr  the  Great,  and  the 


(310/ 


320 


AROUND   THE   WORLD. 


deeds  of  the  Ptolemies,  the  heroic  past  of  Antony's  "  Royal  Egypt,"  of  Hypatia 
and  C3'ril,  are  naught  but  the  fading  memories  of  bygone  history,  that  are  nearly 
hushed  and  crushed  by  the  din,  dust  and  dirt  of  our  boasted  modern  progress. 

Soudan  Expedition. 

Fifteen  years  ago  England  abandoned  the  Soudan,  after  the  unfortunate  death 
of  General  Gordon;  and  since  that  time  it  has  been  controlled  by  the  Khalifa,  the 

Mohammedan  fanatic,  who 
succeeded  the  Mahdi.  During 
these  years  England  has  not 
been  idle.  There  has  been  a 
reorganization  of  the  English 
government  in  Egypt;  the 
Egyptian  army  has  been 
drilled,  newly  equipped  and 
officered  by  Englishmen;  and 
since  the  spring  of  1896  pro- 
gressive means  have  been 
adopted  to  reclaim  this  blighted 
region.  Fighting  on  the  Nile 
entails  many  dangers.  To 
avoid  the  peril  of  having  com- 
munications cut  off  and  the 
advanced  post  of  the  army 
surrounded  by  the  enemy, 
every  position  as  it  is  occupied 
is  strongly  fortified  and  con- 
nected by  railroad  and  tele- 
graph, so  that  news  can  be 
quickly  received  and  troops 
can  be  readily  moved  to  the 
field  of  action.  After  hard 
fighting,  Abu  Haraid,  only 
one  hundred  and  thirty  miles 
from  the  equator,  was  cap- 
tured; and  this  is  regarded 
as  an  important  event  in  the  Anglo-Egyptian  expediton.  As  the  oppression  of  the 
Khalifa  became  unendurable,  the  natives  of  this  region  hailed  with  joy  the 
victory  of  the  Egyptian  and  British  army;  and  now  that  the  flotilla  of  steamers 
built    for    the  navigation    of    the    upper   Nile    is   doing    effective   service   it   is 


NUBIAN   ON   THE   NII,E. 


< 
< 

< 
■J 


X 


322 


AROUND   THE   WORLD. 


hoped  that  the  expedition  will  press   its  way  into  the  heart  of  the  Soudan,  and 

bring  liberty  and  hope  to  an  enslaved  and  despairing  people. 

All  Europe,  as  well  as  Egypt,  is  greatly  excited  over  the  war  in  the  Soudan, 

and  thousands  of 

Egyptian  and  hun- 
dreds of  English  sol- 
diers crowd  the  Nile 
boats,  hurrying  on  to 
the  seat  of  war.  I 
have  arrived  at  the 
extreme  southernmost 
point  to  which  tourists 
are  allowed  to  go  by 
the  command  of  the 
Eg3'ptian  government, 
and  as  I  write  three 
boats,  filled  with  na- 
tive infantry,  two 
packed  with  boys  of 
the  "Union  Jack" 
and  one  appropriated 
b}'  the  camel  corps, 
are  passing  up  the 
Nile. 

To  make  clear  the 
present  status  of  af- 
fairs in  this  country 
allow  me  to  refer  to 
certain  historical  mat- 
ters. 

I  have  given  an 
interview  I  held  with 
Arabi  Pasha,  in  Cey- 
lon, which  gave  an 
account  of  the  up- 
rising of  the    fellahin 

FEMME   ABARAMBOU   DE   MAMBETOU    (EQUATEUR).  ,  .... 

under  Arabi,  m  1882, 
and  of  their  defeat  by  British  arms.  In  this  same  year  came  the  news  from 
Khartoum  from  the  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan  that  his  troops  sent  against 
the  Mahdi  had  been  entirely  destroyed. 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN 


The  Mahdi's  Career. 


323 


This  "  Mahdi,"  or  Mohammed  Ahmed,  is  the  son  of  a  carpenter,  and  his  rise 
to  power  is,  perhaps,  the  most  remarkable  event  in  the  history  of  the  Soudan.  He 
was  a  rehgious  fanatic,  and  while  3^et  a  young  man  he,  surrounded  by  a  number 
of  devoted  disciples,  went  to  live  on  the  Island  of  Abba,  in  the  White  Nile,  and, 
having  hollowed  out  a  cave  in  the  mud-bank,  lived   in  comparative  seclusion, 


NILE   WATER   CARRIERS. 


fasting  and  praying  for  days  at  a  time.  His  renown  soon  spread  throughout  the 
whole  country  and  he  was  recognized  as  the  Mahdi  el  Muntazer,  the  expected 
guide,  the  messenger  of  God. 

Now  the  Mahdi  came  forth,  and  under  his  leadership  the  flame  of  active 
rebellion  was  kindled  and  burned  with  intensity  throughout  all  of  the  Soudan  at 
the  time  of  English  conquest  of  Egypt.  In  November,  1883,  the  Mahdi  defeated 
Colonel  Hicks,  who  had  been  appointed  chief  of  staff  in  the  Soudan,  and  now  he 


324 


AROUND    THE   WORLD. 


held  the  country  from  the  Nile  to  the  Red  Sea  and  far  on  toward  the  Great  Lakes. 
Victory  followed  his  arms  until  the  regular  English  arm}'  partly  checked  his  course. 


SOUDANESE    (NEGRESS). 

General  Gordon's    Fate. 

The  sad  story  of  Gordon   is  doubtless  familiar  to  my  readers.       In  April, 
1884,  he  telegraphed  to  England:   "  I  shall  hold  out  here  as  long  as  I  can,  and  if 


WITH   HYES  WIDIv  OPEN. 


325 


I   can   suppress  the   rebellion   I  shall  do  so.      If  I  cannot,  I  shall   retire  to  the 
equator  and  leave  you  the  indelible  disgrace  of  abandoning  this  garrison.''     The 


EGYPTIAN    DANCK    GIRL. 


British  government  criminally  neglected  Gordon's  pleas  for  aid,  and  after  months 
of  untold  torture  of  mind  he  sent  another  telegram  in  answer  to  one  ordering  him 


326 


AROUND  THE  WORIvD 


to  retreat:  "Retreat  impossible.  You  ask  me  to  state  cause  and  intention  of 
sta3-ing  at  Khartoum.  I  stay  because  the  Arabs  have  shut  us  up  and  will  not  let 
us  out."      x\fter  a  long  delay  in  lyondon  and  in  Cairo  an  expedition  was  started 


TYPICAIv    ORIENTAI,    DRAGOMAN. 


for  the  rescue  of  the  most  heroic  Englishman  of  the  century.  Although  in  the 
early  spring  he  had  sent  message  after  message  begging  for  reinforcements,  which 
were  unheeded,  he  sent  a  final  one  in  December:    "  I  have  done  all  in  my  power 


s 
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Pi 
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(327) 


328 


AROUND   THE   WORLD. 


to  hold  out;  the  position  extremely  critical."  The  expedition  reached  Khartoum 
forty-eight  hours  after  poor,  noble  Gordon  had  been  cut  to  pieces  by  the  Mahdi 
and  his  fellow-fanatics. 

Smarting  under  this  disastrous  failure  to  save  Gordon,  the  British  govern- 
ment, under  pressure,    decided  upon   another    expedition    "to  lay   the    Suakin- 


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i^Hl.l.AH     \\  I  I.MAN. 


Berber  Railway,"   but    after  losing  five   hundred    and    fift}'    men    in    a    twenty- 
minutes'  battle  with  the  Mahdists  this  enterprise  was  abandoned. 


British  Plan  of  Revenge. 

Since  this   time  the  followers  of  the  Mahdi,  especially  his  right-hand  man, 
Osman  Digna,  have  been  giving  continual  trouble,  and  from  the  decisive  action 


WITH   EYES  WIDE  OPEN.  329 

taken  by  the  English  and  Egyptian  forces,  it  is  supposed  that  with  them  patience 
has  ceased  to  be  a  virtue,  and  that  now  it  is  determined  to  clear  out  the  trouble- 
some dervishes  and  open  up  the  Soudan  once  for  ail. 

It  is  rumored  (and  rumors  are  nearly  as  plentiful  as  flies  and  fleas  in  Egypt 
just  now)  that  there  is  an  understanding  between  England  and  Italy,  and  that 
the  Soudan  campaign  is  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  the  Italians  in  their  sore 
straits  in  Erythrea. 

Essentialh'  it  is  an  Egyptian  question  that  is  involved.  For  .some  time  past 
the  dervishes  have  been  concentrating  in  menacing  numbers  at  Dongola,  and  there 
has  been  some  reason  to  fear  that  an  attack  upon  the  Egyptian  frontier  would  be 
made.  The  defeat  of  the  Italians  at  Adowa  tmdoubtedly  made  the  situation  more 
critical.  It  exposed  Kassala  to  attack,  and  it  sent  a  thrill  of  reviving  fanaticism 
throughout  the  Soudan. 

Under  the  circumstances  Lord  Wolsele}'   thought  that   military   operations 

were  necessary,  and  the  Egyptian  war  office  was  obliged  to  act  accordingh-.      It 

cannot  be  denied  that  the  success  of  the  dervishes  had  greatl}-  encouraged  them, 

and  as  the  inhabitants  of  this  part  of  Africa  make  no  definite  distinction  between 

European   nationalities,  this  victory'  means  to  them  a  triumph  of  the  black.skins 

over  the  whiteskins,  which,  it   is   feared,  ma}'  lead  them  to  be  more  pugnacious 

and  progressive  than  ever,  involving  the  interests  of  several  European  powers  in 

the  country. 

Egypt  and  the  Dervishes. 

During  the  month  that  I  have  been  in  Egypt  I  have  on  several  occasions  seen 
representatives  of  these  dervishes,  and  I  can  easily  imagine  that  the  descriptions 
that  come  to  us  of  their  recklessness  in  times  of  war  are  not  at  all  exaggerated. 
They  are  said  to  be  absolutel}-  fearless  of  death,  and,  inspired  by  a  deathless  love 
for  their  religion,  which  they  think  is  endangered  b}- the  presence  of  Europeans  in 
Africa,  their  fanaticism  knows  no  bounds. 

Egypt  is,  and  has  always  been,  a  land  of  mystery,  and  all  those w^ho  live  any 
time  in  its  atmosphere— whether  native  or  alien — partake  of  this  spirit.  After  all 
that  has  been  said,  the  English  as  well  as  the  Egyptians  are  acting  most  myste- 
riously in  this  campaign.  Two  reasons  are  given  out  publicly  for  this  rush  of 
troops  up  the  Nile:  first,  for  the  protection  of  the  frontier  of  Egypt,  and,  second, 
for  the  indirect  benefit  of  Italy  by  attracting  the  forces  of  the  dervishes  away 
from  her  defeated  army.  If  the  former  is  true,  why  should  not  the  Egyptian  and 
Engli.sh  .soldiers  stop  here  at  Assouan,  the  frontier  town  of  Egypt,  and  build  their 
fortifications  at  this  place  of  entrance  instead  of  taking  the  offensive  and  pushing 
on  toward  Doneola  ?  If  the  second  reason  has  foundation,  why  go  toward 
Dongola,  which  is  six  hundred  miles  from  Ka.ssala,  where  the  Italian  army  is  in 
distress  ?     The  facts  justify  a  different  conclusion. 


330 


AROUND   THE    WORLD 


The  "  affairs  "  in  Europe  necessitate  England  having  an  active  policy  in  this 
country,  which  has  been  under  her  protectorate  for  more  than  ten  years.  She 
would  prove  to  France,  Russia  and  other  powers  that  the  time  for  her  to  evacuate 
Eg}-pt  is  not  at  hand,  and  that  her  process  of  trying  to  whiten  the  black  hearts, 
if  not  the  black  skins,  of  these  children  of  the  desert  must  be  continued  by  the 
flash  of  the  sword  and  the  crack  of  the  rifle  !     This  may  exterminate  the  der- 


scene;  in  the  valley  of  The  ntle. 


vishes,  but  it  will  not  terminate  the  restless  rumbling  that  is  rolling  through  the 
heart  of  the  Dark  Continent. 


From   Egypt  to    Syria. 

After  a  month's  study  of  the  wonders  of  ancient  and  modern  Eg>'pt,  most 
regretfully  we  took  leave  of  the  Shepheard's,  the  most  comfortable  and  best 
equipped  hotel,  not  only  in  Cairo,  but  in  the  East,  and  within  a  few  hours  we 


WITH   EYES    WIDE   OPEN. 


33  r 


were  passing  through  the  fertile  fields  of  Goshen  on  onr  way  toward  the  land  of 
the  Sultan.  On  these  plains,  made  historic  by  biblical  events  and  as  the  battle- 
field of  contending  armies  in  olden  times,  the  frightened  forces  of  Arabi  Pasha 
gathered  after  the  bombardment  and  fall  of  Alexandria,  and  it  was  here  that  the 
last  stroke  was  given  to  his  cause  by  English  arms. 

Before  taking  ship  at  Port  Said  we  spent  a  short  while  at  Ismailia,  located 
exactly  midway  on  the  Suez  Canal,  between  the  Mediterranean  and  Red  seas,  at 


SCENE   BETWEEN  JAFFA   AND  JERUSALEM. 

the  Bitter  Lakes,  through  which  the  canal  runs.  In  this  pretty  little  city,  where 
flowers  and  fruit  trees  seem  to  be  in  great  abundance,  the  representatives  of  the 
civilized  nations  of  the  world  met  on  the  occasion  of  the  inauguration  ceremony 
at  the  time  of  the  completion  of  De  Eessep's  grand  canal,  and  here  it  was  that 
certain  international  friendships  were  created  that  gave  a  new  impulse  to  commerce 
between  Europe  and  the  East.  At  Port  Said,  in  a  sandy  plain,  and  which  receives 
its  importance  alone  from  the  fact  that  it  is  connected  with  the  trans-shipment  of 
vessels  to  and  from  the  Red  Sea  by  way  of  Suez,  we  embarked  for  Jaffa,  Palestine. 


332  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

The  City   of  Jaffa. 

In  the  early  morning,  after  a  rough  night  on  the  Mediterranean,  we  caught 
our  first  gHmpse  of  the  mountains  of  Judea;  then  the  yellow  shore  came  in  view, 
and  in  the  distance  we  could  see  the  red-tiled  houses  of  Jaffa  rising  in  terraces  on 
the  slope  of  a  beautiful  hill. 

This  city  on  the  sea — one  of  the  oldest  cities  in  the  world — is  where  Hiram, 
King  of  Tyre,  undertook  to  send  to  Solomon  wood  from  Lebanon  for  the  building 
of  the  Temple;  here  it  was,  according  to  ancient  myth,  that  Andromeda,  the 
daughter  of  Cepheusand  Joppa,  is  said  to  have  been  chained  to  the  rocks  in  order 
that  she  might  be  destroyed  by  a  huge  sea  monster,  but  was  released  by  Perseus, 
and  it  was  from  this  port  that  Jonah  embarked  just  before  his  remarkable  experi- 
ence with  the  big  fish.  This  latter  reference  prompts  us  to  remark  that  Jonah,  not 
Samson,  was  the  strongest  man  that  ever  lived,  for  even  a  whale  could  not  hold 
him  down. 

The  present  city  is  uninteresting  except  for  a  few  biblical  events  that  are 
associated  with  it.  We  visit  the  reputed  home  of  Simon,  the  tanner,  and  have 
pointed  out  to  us  the  place  on  the  flat  roof  where  the  Apostle  Peter  had  the  vision 
that  is  recorded  in  Acts,  which  put  a  new  interpretation  on  the  gospel  that  he 
preached,  and  a  short  walk  away  brings  us  to  the  place  where  the  same  great 
apostle  is  said  to  have  raised  Tabitha  and  given  her  back  to  her  distressed  friends. 

On  the  Road  to  Jerusalem. 

The  forty  miles  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem  can  be  made  in  a  short  time  in  a  train 
of  cars,  pulled  by  a  puffing,  snorting  steam  engine.  But  as  this  mode  of  journey 
seemed  to  violate  a  deep-seated  sentiment,  and  would  not  afford  an  opportunity  to 
study  the  places  of  interest  en  route,  we  secured  a  carriage  with  the  privilege  of 
taking  all  day  for  the  trip.  For  miles  out  of  Jaffa  we  drive  through  orange, 
lemon,  pomegranate  and  apricot  gardens,  and  on  every  hand  there  are  evidences 
of  the  greatest  fertility. 

About  thirty  years  ago  a  German  colony'  secured  a  thousand  acres  from  the 
Sultan,  and  large  fortunes  have  been  made  by  these  thrifty  men  and  women  in 
horticulture.  I  am  told  that  ^80,000  worth  of  oranges  and  shiploads  of  other 
fruit  annually  are  exported  by  the  colony  and  what  was  a  barren  plain  has  been 
converted  into  gardens  of  the  richest  beauty. 

The  Rothschilds  and  other  wealthy  Hebrews  have  established  and  supported 
a  Jewish  agricultural  school  near  by,  but  this  has  not  been  a  success,  for  these 
sons  of  Abraham  are  so  intuitively  biased  toward  commercial  life  that  when  a  few 
pounds  have  been  accumulated  at  the  school,  they  bid  good-bye  to  the  hoe  and 
plow  and  go  forth  as  traders. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


333 


Approaching  the  Holy  City. 

In  less  than  two  hours  from  Ramleh  we  passed  into  the  beautiful  Valley  of 
Ajalon,  where  in  Joshua  (x.  12)  we  have  it  recorded  that  Joshua  commanded  the 
moon  to  stand  still.  Through  this  valley  and  over  the  adjacent  hills  I  walked  ten 
miles,  and  having  as  my  companion  an  enthusiastic  botanist  and  a  good  Syrian 
scholar,  this  walk  was  much  more  enjoyable  than  the  carriage  drive.  Within  a 
space  of  not  more  than  three  hundred  yards  I  gathered  twenty-two  kinds 
of  flowers.  The  fields  and  hill  slopes  looked  as  if  they  were  covered  by  many 
colored  carpets;  the  single-handed  plow,  used  from  time  immemorial,  w^as  seen 
moving  through  the  rich  soil,  drawn  by  an  ox  and  an  ass,  and  driven  by  the 
bearded  Syrian;  peeps  were  made  into  wells  that  were  like  those  used  by  Father 
Jacob;  Latron,  the  reputed  home  of  the  penitent  thief,  was  passed  (which  is  now 
said  to  be  full  of  thieves,  none  of  whom  are  penitent);  the  meadow  is  reached 
where  some  insist  that  David  let  fly  the  stone  from  his  sling  that  buried  itself  in 
the  forehead  of  the  great  giant;  and  having  resumed  our  carriage  we  soon  came 
to  Kuloniah,  thought  to  be  the  Emmaus  of  Luke  xxiv.  13,  where  Christ  appeared 
on  the  day  of  His  resurrection.  Just  as  the  crimson  light  from  the  setting  sun  lit 
the  western  sky  over  the  Judean  hills,  casting  a  rosy  glow  on  meadow  and  vale, 
we  passed  through  the  gate  into  the  city  of  the  Great  King, 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
PILGRIMS   IN   PALESTINE. 

T  is  estimated  that  fifteen  thousand  visitors  land  upon  the  shores  of 
Palestine  annually,  the  large  majority  of  whom  come  on  religious 
pilgrimages.  The  Holy  Sepulchre  is  visited  ever^^  j^ear  by 
nearly  twelve  thousand  "pilgrims" — six  thousand  of  these 
are  Russian  peasants,  four  thousand  are  Greeks  from  the  various 
countries  that  fringe  the  Levant,  or  Armenians;  nearly  a  thou- 
sand are  French  and  Latin,  about  two  hundred  are  Copts  from  Upper  Egypt, 
and  the  rest  are  native  Christian!?. 

The   Russian  Visitors. 

I  have  been  greatly  impressed  b}-  the  quiet,  earnest,  serious  manner  of  the 
Russian  peasants,  men  and  women,  as  they  come  in  from  the  great  Russian 
convent  and  barrack  that  dominate  the  city  on  the  north,  and  with  bared  head  and 
taper  in  hand  make  the  round  of  the  sacred  places;  or  as  they  trudge  along  the 
road  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho,  with  great  bundles  on  their  backs,  bound  for  the 
Jordan  River.  Most  of  these  are  past  middle  age;  all  are  carrying  out  at  last  the 
intention  of  a  lifetime,  over  the  consummation  of  which  they  have  long  brooded 
and  prayed  and  many  of  them  have  walked  on  foot  one  or  even  two  thousand  miles 
from  their  native  village  in  the  interior  of  Russia  before  the\'  arrive  at  the  port  of 
embarkation  on  the  shores  of  the  Black  Sea,  and  have  voluntarih'  undergone  much 
inevitable  suffering  and  hardship  on  the  way.  Each  peasant  pays  for  his  own 
passage  and  all  expenses  of  the  long  journey  out  of  the  earnings  carefully  stored 
,up  from  year  to  year  with  this  intent,  and  the  Russian  government  requires,  before 
granting  permission  to  any  of  them  to  leave  Russia  at  all,  a  specific  pledge  and 
contract  that  they  will  return,  and  demands  also  that  each  one  shall  deposit  in  the 
hands  of  the  authorities  enough  to  defra}-  his  return  fare.  Besides  this  each  has 
to  contribute  his  toll  and  fee  to  the  local  fund  of  the  Eastern  Church,  and  it  is  this 
money  that  furnishes  the  means  for  the  man}^  renovations  of  older  buildings  and 
for  the  erection  of  new  chapels  and  shrines  that  are  springing  up  here  and  there 
and  everywhere  in  Southern  Syria  under  the  aegis  of  the  Eastern  Church. 

(334) 


PS 

w 
> 


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o 


(3.35) 


336 


AROUND   THE    WORLD 


French  Catholics. 


Most  of  the  pilgrims  who  belong  to  the  Latin  communion  are  French.  There 
exists  in  France  a  benevolent  society  for  helping  poor  French  Catholics  to  make 
this  pilgrimage,  and  this  fund  allows  about  one  thousand  of  these  pilgrims  to  visit 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  every  year.  There  are  not  so  many  Moslem  pilgrims,  and  the 
Jews  are  coming  in  large  numbers,  not  as  travelers,  but  as  colonists.  The 
number  of  tourists  who  spend  from  two  to  six  weeks  in  Palestine  is  increasing 


%. 


THE   ANCIENT   GATEWAY   OF   SAMARCAND,    IN   TURKESTAN. 

everj'  year,  but  I  have  been  unable  to  secure  reliable  statistics  on  this  point. 
Three-quarters  of  these  attempt  no  more  than  a  sight  of  Jerusalem  and  its 
environs,  perhaps  go  to  Bethlehem,  five  miles  to  the  south,  and  to  the  Jordan, 
eighteen  miles  to  the  east,  and  then  sail  from  Beirut,  after  having  run  up  to 
Damascus.  These  do  not,  apparently,  take  any  real  or  abiding  interest  in  the 
associations  of  the  land,  and  seem  not  desirous  of  enlarging  or  giving  reality  to 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  337 

the  impressions  they  had  derived  by  study  at  home.  It  is  quite  impossible  to  take 
but  a  most  superficial  glance  of  the  country  under  a  month's  time,  but  during  this 
time  the  visitor,  by  a  well-conceived  and  well- executed  plan,  can  proceed  from  the 
extreme  south  to  the  extreme  north  (about  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  miles), 
and  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Jordan,  studying  somewhat  carefully  the 
localities  associated  with  the  Old  and  New  Testament. 

Doing  Jerusalem. 

Many  who  attempt  "  to  do  "  Jerusalem  on  schedule  time  and  dash  from  one 
place  of  interest  to  another  seem  not  to  realize  that  the  modern  city  is  but  the 
topmost  stratum  of  several  former  cities;  that  beneath  its  outward  aspect  lie 
entombed  the  remnants  of  those  who  have  played  their  part  in  what  every  one 
must  acknowledge  to  have  been  the  most  remarkable  drama  of  history, 
and  where  the  ruins  of  the  work  of  at  least  three  distinct  Jewish  periods,  as 
well  as  those  of  the  Herodian,  the  Roman,  the  Byzantine,  the  Crusader  and  the 
Moslem  lie  piled  together.  In  our  study  of  this  wonderful  cit}',  if  we  do  not  go 
beneath  the  dust  of  its  present  streets  and  alleys,  we  are  naught  but  slaves  to  a 
bald  external  materialism.  The  excavator's  pickaxe  is  yet  to  unearth  stones  that 
have  tongues,  beneath  the  spots  where  the  knees  of  devout  pilgrims  now  touch, 
and  a  new  historic  revelation  shall  be  brought  to  light. 

The  Valley  of  the  Jordan. 

Those  who  are  interested  in  the  "  Palestine  exploration  fund  "  are  addressmg 
themselves  earnestly  to  this  noble  work,  and  I  am  assured  by  the  honored  secretary 
that  the  association  is  greatly  encouraged  in  its  work.  The  tourist,  it  matters  not 
how  quickly  he  must  depart  after  entering  the  Holy  Land,  cannot  afford  to  miss 
the  wondrous  ravine  of  the  Jordan,  unlike  anything  else  on  the  face  of  the  globe. 
Here  he  passes  the  threefold  interesting  site  of  the  prehistoric,  the  Jewish  and  the 
Herodian  Jericho,  haunted  by  the  martial  memories  of  Joshua's  raid,  with  the 
vanguard  of  the  Ben -Israel,  and  by  those  of  many  romantic  and  picturesque 
episodes  belonging  to  the  schools  of  the  prophets,  by  memories  of  the  Egyptian 
Cleopatra,  of  Herod's  funeral  that  here  wound  its  way,  of  the  last  journey  of 
Jesus,  of  the  Essenes  and  early  Christians  and  many  other  events  of  sacred  and 
secular  history  of  thrilling  interest. 

riagnificent  Landscape. 

The  topography  of  Palestine  is  an   agreeable  surprise  to   me.      In  my  trip 

around  the  world,  with  but  one  exception,  I  have  seen  no  view  that  surpasses  in 

grandeur  the  one  to  be  had  from  one  of  the  heights  in  the  Jordan  Valley,  near  the 

traditional  spot  where  the  prophet  sweetened  the  bitter  waters.     The  panorama  of 
22 


338  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

all  Central  Palestine  lies  outspread  as  a  map  before  your  gaze,  and  from,  the  deep 
blue.rippleless  waves  of  the  Dead  Sea,  to  the  south,  to  the  dazzling  snow  fields  of 
Mount  Hermon,  on  the  north,  a  distance  of  a  hundred  miles,  the  magnificent 
landscape  extends,  dimpled  b}-  numberless  vales  and  domed  by  many  hillocks, 
flanked  on  the  east  by  the  grand  mountains  of  Moab  and  Gilead,  from  which 
spring  the  heroic  Nebo  and  Pisgah,  watch-towers  of  the  Land  of  Promise. 

An  Old  Highway, 

This  view,  so  multiplied  and  beautiful,  must  have  been  the  very  prospect 
which  presented  itself  to  the  eye  first  of  Abraham  and  then  of  Jacob  as  they  came 
in  from  Mesopotamia,  and  is  substantially  the  same  to-day  as  it  was  w^hen  unfolded 
before  the  eyes  of  Balaam  and  Moses.  Looking  toward  Jerusalem ,  j^ou  can  see  Mount 
Olivet,  and  Vv^inding  through  the  hill  country  you  can  trace  the  white  road  that  was 
pressed  by  the  feet  of  the  Christ  and  His  disciples  as  the}-  came  over  the  road 
from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho,  a  part  of  which  you  have  passed,  and  must  repass 
before  you  enter  the  Holy  City  again.  Along  this  old  highway,  through  your 
field-glass,  you  can  distinguish  long  caravans  of  Russian  and  French  pilgrims 
solemnly  moving  toward  the  Jordan,  that  flashes  in  the  sunlight  below  you. 

The  Holy  City. 

It  is  well,  before  studying  a  great  city  in  detail,  to  ascend  to  an  elevated  place 
and  take  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  city  and  its  surroundings  as  a  whole.  This  was 
done  the  day  after  our  arrival  in  Jerusalem.  From  a  tower  two  hundred  feet  high, 
erected  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  lookitig  toward  the  west,  you  have  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemane  and  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  below  you;  beyond  spreads  out  the 
Holy  City,  and  behind,  nestling  in  the  hills,  is  the  town  of  Bethany,  while  twenty 
miles  away  is  Jericho,  not  far  from  the  waters  of  the  Jordan  and  the  Dead  Sea, 
which  are  distinctly  visible.  The  four  hills  upon  which  Jerusalem  stands  were  once 
separated  by  deep  valleys,  which  are  now  filled  by  the  debris  of  successive  destruc- 
tions of  the  cit}\  On  the  southwest  rises  Zion,  the  most  celebrated  of  these,  which 
is  three  hundred  feet  above  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  and  five  hundred  feet  above  the 
Kidron.  It  was  the  old  citadel  of  the  Jebusites  and  "the  City  of  David." 
Mount  Moriah,  which  was  the  site  of  the  ancient  temple  and  is  now  crowned  by 
the  Mosque  of  Omar,  is  on  the  southeast,  separated  from  Zion  by  the  Tyropaeon 
Valley  and  from  Olivet  by  the  deep  gorge  of  the  Kidron.  On  the  northeast  is 
Mount  Bezetha,  w^hich  was  enclosed  within  the  walls,  after  the  time  of  Christ,  by 
Herod  Agrippa,  and  Mount  Akra,  which  is  the  highest  point  of  the  city,  is  on 
the  northwest.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  city  slopes  down  from  the  northwest 
to  the  northeast,  and  standing  on  the  northwest  angle  of  the  wall,  you  are  at  the 
highest  point  and  see   Moriah  far  below  on   the  southeast,  with  the  Tyropaeon 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


339 


Valley  on  the  west  of  it,  running  down  between  it  and  Zion  to  the  junction  of  the 
Kidron  with  the  Hinnom. 

The  city  covers  an  area  of  more  than  two  hundred  and  nine  acres,  has  a  cir- 
cumference of  nearly  two  and  a  quarter  miles,  is  enclosed  by  walls  averaging  about 
thirty-five  feet  in  height;  around  the  walls  are  thirty-four  towers,  and  in  the  walls 
are  eight  gates,  six  open  and  two  closed.     The  population  is  variously  estimated 


JERUSALEM   MERCHANTS. 

from  75,000  to  100,000,  and  the  Jews,  who  have  been  coming  in  large  numbers  in 
recent  years,  largely  outnumber  all  others. 


The   Holy  Sepulchre. 

The  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  first  attracted  our  attention.  As  to  the 
genuine  site  of  the  holy  sepulchre  there  has  been  no  end  of  controversy,  but  it  is 
quite  certain  that  there  is  no  historical  evidence  that  the  question  was  at  all  settled 
until  the  third  century,  when  it  appears  from  Eusebius  that  over  the  sepulchre 


«t         '«»"'*^«»5J( 


^JU^  CENTRE   OF   THE   EARTH,  CHURCH    OF  THE   HOI,V   SEPUI.CHRE.  JERUSAI^EM. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE  OPEN. 


341 


had  been  erected  a  temple  to  Venus.  In  the  present  building  there  are  thirty- 
seven  stations,  at  which  the  Roman  Catholics,  Greeks,  Armenians  and  Copts  hold 
services.  The  following  are  some  of  these:  Tlie  stone  of  unction  on  which  they 
say  Christ  was  laid  and  anointed  v/hen  taken  from  the  cross;  the  spot  where  Mary 
stood  to  see  what  would  be  done  with  the  body  of  her  son  and  Lord;  the  sepulchre 
itself  and  the  stone  which  closed  the  door;  the  place  where  Mary  met  the  risen  Lord, 


ENTRANCE  TO   THE   CHURCH    OF   THE   HOLY  SEPULCHRE. 

supposing  Him  to  be  the  gardener;  a  hole  through  the  marble  pavement  where 
the  cross  is  said  to  have  stood,  and  what  may  well  surprise  us,  we  are  shown  at 
last  the  tomb  of  Melchizedec  and  the  tomb  of  Adam. 

The  holy  sepulchre  stands  in  the  centre  of  the  rotunda.     The  slab  is  cracked 
through  the  centre,  is  much  worn  by  adoring  pilgrims,  and  the  little  chapel  that 


342  AROUND    THE   WORLD 

encloses  it  is  lit  by  forty-three  lamps,  always  burning.  The  church  is  the  joint 
property  of  the  Greeks,  the  Latins  (Catholics),  Armenians  and  Copts,  and  each 
take  their  turn  in  making  processions  to  the  holy  places  and  worshiping  at  the 
sacred  shrines. 

The  Mosque  of  Omar. 

Upon  Mt.  Moriah,  where  once  stood  the  great  temple  designed  by  David  and 
built  by  Solomon,  is  now  the  Mosque  of  Omar,  and  tradition  declares  that  it 
covers  the  spot  where  Oman  had  his  threshing  floor,  where  Abraham  offered  up 
Isaac  and  where  David  interceded  for  the  plague-stricken  people.  Standing  in 
this  magnificent  building,  one's  thoughts  rush  back  to  the  past,  when  psalmists 
wrote  and  patriots  sung  of  the  temple's  glory.  Hither  the  tribes  came  up;  here 
shone  forth  the  light  of  the  Shekinah ;  here  was  the  centre  of  the  religious,  the 
poetical  and  the  political  life  of  God's  chosen  people,  and  to  this  spot  still  devout 
Jews  in  every  land  turn  with  tearful  eyes  and  prayerful  lips,  longing  for  the 
restoration  of  their  loved  land.  The  Christian  thinks  of  the  little  Child  presented 
here  by  His  mother,  of  the  divine  Youth  asking  and  answering  questions,  and  of 
the  man-God  "  teaching  and  preaching  the  things  concerning  Himself," 

The  Sacred  Rock. 

The  spacious  area  known  as  the  Haram  esh-Sherif,  upon  which  the  mosque 
stands,  is  surrounded  by  a  wall  1601  feet  long  on  the  west,  1530  on  the  east,  1024 
on  the  north  and  922  on  the  south,  and  is  entered  by  eight  gates  on  the  west.  In  the 
building  there  are  many  things  to  attract  attention ,  but  the  greatest  interest  centres 
upon  the  Sacred  Rock,  immediately  beneath  the  dome,  about  sixty  feet  long  and 
forty-five  feet  wide.  Numberless  legends  cluster  about  this  rock,  Jewish, 
Christian  and  Moslem.  Here,  it  is  claimed,  Melchizedec  offered  sacrifice,  Abraham 
brought  3'oung  Isaac  as  an  offering,  the  ark  of  the  covenant  stood,  and  through 
the  circular  hole  is  said  to  have  passed  the  blood  of  the  sacrifices,  which  was  carried 
by  way  of  the  brook  Kidron  outside  of  the  city.  In  the  cave  below  are  shown  the 
praying  places  of  Abraham,  Elijah,  David,  Solomon  and  Mohammed. 

The  next  building  of  importance  in  the  enclosure  is  the  Mosque-et-Aksa, 
which  contains  the  tombs  of  the  sons  of  Aaron,  the  praying  place  of  Moses,  and 
other  places  of  traditional  interest.  From  the  Haram  a  fine  view  can  be  had  of 
the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  where  devout  Jews  long  to  be  buried,  for  to  this  place 
will  the  Messiah  come  w^hen  the  prophecy  of  Joel  is  fulfilled:  "  I  will  gather  all 
nations  and  w^ill  bring  them  down  into  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  will  plead 
with  them  there  for  my  people,  whom  they  have  scattered  among  the  nations,  and 
parted  my  land." 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN. 


3-1-3 


The  Via  Dolorosa. 

The  Via  Dolorosa  is  a  narrow  but  remarkably  picturesque  street  leading  from 
a  point  near  St.  Stephen's  gate  to  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  and,  remem- 

''1 1 


THE    "WAILING  PLACE,"    IN  JERUSALEM. 

bering  that  it  is  sacred  with  the  tears  of  many  generations  of  pilgrims  who  strove 
to  walk  in  the  footsteps  of  the  agonizing  Christ,  we  cannot  step  upon  its  rough 


344  AROUND   THE  WORLD 

pavement  with  indifference  as  we  visit  Pilate's  Judgment  Hall,  the  place  where 
the  cross  is  said  to  have  been  put  on  Christ's  shoulder,  and  the  different  "  Stations 
of  the  Cross  ' '  until  Calvary  is  reached.  I  have  visited  no  spot  in  Jerusalem  more 
pathetic  than  the  Jews'  Wailing  Place. 

Jews'  Wailing  Place. 

Every  Friday  afternoon  the  old  wall  of  the  temple,  composed  of  enormous 
blocks  of  marble,  is  lined  with  Hebrews  of  every  age  and  station  in  life,  who 
spend  hours  reading  their  psalter  and  prophets,  while  they  weep  over  the  ruins  of 
the  Holy  City.  Jerome  makes  an  affecting  allusion  to  the  remnant  of  mourners 
in  his  day  who  paid  the  Roman  soldiers  for  the  privilege  of  leaning  against  this 
wall  while  they  bemoaned  their  fate;  and  as  I  watched  these  children  of  ancient 
Israel,  holding  their  sacred  books,  their  bodies  waving  to  and  fro,  their  lips  mutter- 
ing and  wailing  out  lamentation  after  lamentation,  while  tears  rolled  down  their 
faces,  I  could  not  for  a  moment  doubt  their  sincerity,  and  a  thrill  ran  through  me 
as  I  recalled  their  past  history  and  their  present  condition  in  the  city  of  their 
fathers. 

The  subterranean  quarries  which  run  under  nearly  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  city  give  the  probable  explanation  of  the  place  where  the  mighty  stones  of 
the  temple  were  secured.  As  you  pass  through  a  vast  succession  of  might}'  aisles 
and  mammoth  chambers  3'ou  see  the  marks  of  chiselings  left  centuries  ago,  you 
pass  niches  for  the  lamps  of  the  quarry  men,  and  now  and  then  you  stumble 
against  huge  blocks  partly  cut  from  the  rocks,  and  pillars  partially  shaped  and  left 
unfinished. 

In  the  Holy  City. 

The  exact  localities  of  Calvary,  where  the  Chri.st  was  crucified,  and  the  tomb 
in  which  He  lay,  have  greatly  interested  the  hosts  of  pilgrims  who  have  visited 
Jerusalem  for  many  centuries. 

The  Empress  Helena,  mother  of  Constantine,  visited  the  Holy  City  in  A.  D. 
326,  with  the  purpose  of  identifying  these  spots,  and  tradition  tells  us  that  it  was 
by  means  of  a  dream  that  her  desires  were  fulfilled.  Her  son  erected  a  magnifi- 
cent basilica  over  the  place  where  the  tomb  was  supposed  to  have  been,  and 
although  this  original  edifice  has  long  since  disappeared  the  present  Church  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre  is  located  where  the  dream  of  the  devout  Empress  led  her  to 
suppose  were  the  tomb  of  the  Lord  and  the  place  of  the  crucifixion. 

In  this  church  we  are  surrounded  by  everything  that  human  invention  and 
modern  art  could  devise,  but  we  turn  away  sickened  at  heart  to  think  that  such 
folly  and  superstition  should  be  associated  with  the  most  sacred  events  of  the 
world's  historv. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


345 


Here  we  are  shown  where  the  Empress  sat  and  threw  pieces  of  gold  into  the 
rubbish  to  encourage  the  workmen  in  their  search  for  the  cross;  there  we  are 
shown  a  slab  of  limestone  where,  it  is  said,  the  Eord's  body  was  anointed  when 
taken  from  the  cross,  and  scores  of  other  evidences  of  the  baldest  superstition  are 
marked  and  labeled  in  the  most  artificial  manner. 


GOLGOTHA. 


It  is  surpassingly  strange  that  this  place  was  selected,  if  the  biblical  record 
was  consulted  at  all.  It  occupies  a  position,  not  on  a  solid  rock,  but  above  the 
ground,  in  space.  The  chamber  of  the  tomb  is  lined  with  marble,  and  has  not 
the  least  resemblance  to  a  cave  cut  in  the  rock,  and  it  is  located  inside  the  city 
walls,  as  they  existed  in  Christ's  time,  while  all  admit  that  the  true  Calvary  must 
have  occupied  a  place  outside  of  these  walls. 


346 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


riajor  Conder's  Discovery. 

We  are  indebted  to  Major  Conder,  who  labored  in  connection  with  the  Palestine 
Exploration  F\ind,  for  ably  pointing  out  in  1878  that  in  all  probability  the  place 
where  the  crucifixion  took  place  is  a  rock}^  knoll  outside  the  Damascus  Gate,  and 
known  as  "Jeremiah's  Grotto."     This  knoll  presents  a  striking  resemblance  to  a 


THE   "  ECCO   HOMO"    ARCH,  JERUSALEM. 

human  skull,  which  corresponds  to  the  words  in  the  New  Version,  "the  place 
which  is  called  the  skull." 

The  following  points  of  evidence  in  favor  of  this  being  the  actual  scene  of  the 
crucifixion  are  striking:  It  was  certainly  outside  the  walls  of  the  city  in  the  time 
of  Christ;  it  was  at  the  junction  of  the  two  main  roads,  from  S.  to  N.  and  from 
W.  to  E.,  and  consequently  there  would  be  many  passers-by  (Matt,  xxvii.  39,  Mark 
XV.  29).  This  hill  is  called  by  the  Jews  to-da}^  as  it  has  alwaj^s  been  called,  the 
"Hill  of  Execution;"   it  is  held  as  an  accursed  spot,  and  Jews  even  now,  when 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


347 


they  pass  it,  spit  and  throw  stones  in    its  direction,  uttering  this   imprecation: 
"Cursed  be  He  who  destroyed  our  nation  by  aspiring  to  be  king  thereof." 

The  Writer's  Impressions. 

For  ten  days  I  studied  this  and  other  localities,  and  I  confess  I  was  deeph^ 
impressed  by  the  place  and  its  surroundings. 

On  this  skull-shaped  mound  outside  of  the  gate  of  Damascus  the  whole 
transaction  could  have  been  seen  b}^  the  vast  multitudes  that  thronged  the   public 


CHURCH  OF  NATIVITY. 

thoroughfares  at  that  season,  and  the  priests  could  have  witnessed  the   terrible 
tragedy  from  the  wall  of  the  city  or  from  the  tower  of  Antonia. 

If  this  little  hill  is  established  as  the  Golgotha  of  the  New  Testament,  it 
necessarily  follows  that  the  sepulchre  in  which  our  Eord  was  laid  must  have  been 
situated  somewhere  in  the  immediate  vicinit}'. 

Biblical  Testimony. 

In  John  we  read:  "Now,  in  the  place  where  He  was  crucified  there  was  a 
garden,  and  in  the  garden  a  new  sepulchre,  wherein  was  never  man  yet  laid. 


348  AROUND    THE   WORLD 

There  laid  they  Jesus,  therefore,  because  of  the  Jews'  preparation  day,  for  the  sep- 
ulchre was  nigh  at  hand."  The  garden  containing  the  tomb  was,  therefore,  quite 
close  to  the  spot  where  the  cross  stood. 

A  tomb  that  seems  to  correspond  remarkably  with  the  biblical  account  has 
lately  been  excavated,  and  while  as  yet  there  has  been  little  published  about  it,  a 
company  of  English  Christians  have  bought  the  spot  and  the  garden  near  by,  and 
doubtless  we  shall  hear  much  of  it  in  the  near  future. 

The  Probable  Tomb. 

It  is  located  230  feet  from  the  summit  of  the  knoll  supposed  to  be  Golgotha; 
it  is  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock,  and  evidently  was  the  tomb  of  a  rich  man — 
Joseph  of  Arimathea.  It  is  located  in  a  garden,  and  the  whole  structure  of  the 
tomb  shows  how  the  disciple  could  have  stooped  down  and  looked  in  without 
entering. 

It  consists  of  a  chamber  cut  in  the  rock,  seven  feet  six  inches  in  height,  four- 
teen feet  six  inches  long  and  eleven  feet  two  inches  wide,  having  a  low  partition 
dividing  the  tomb  into  two  parts.  In  these  are  three  receptacles  for  human 
bodies,  but  only  one  of  these  appears  to  have  been  actualh'  completed,  and  por- 
tions of  the  "scale,"  which  was  loose  at  the  bottom  of  the  receptacle  that  was 
evidently  used,  was  taken  to  the  British  Museum,  where  the  authorities  declared 
that  "no  body  has  ever  decomposed  in  the  tomb,  if  this  is  from  the  bottom  of  it." 

There  are  strong  evidences  that  the  Crusaders  knew  of  this  tomb.  At  the 
east  end  two  crosses  are  inscribed  on  the  wall  in  red  paint,  with  the  letters  Alpha 
and  Omega  at  the  corners,  and  it  has  been  ascertained  that  an  arched  building 
once  existed  in  front  of  the  tomb,  supposed  to  have  been  erected  about  the  twelfth 
century. 

There  are  the  faint  outlines  of  an  inscription  which,  if  ever  deciphered,  may 
tell  us  how  those  who,  centuries  ago,  looked  upon  this  sepulchre  regarded  it. 

From  what  has  been  written  certain  inferences  may  fairly  be  drawn,  namely, 
that  the  traditional  Holy  Sepulchre  cannot  possibly  be  the  true  site  of  the  tomb 
of  Christ,  as  it  lies  within  the  walls  of  the  ancient  city;  that  the  skull-shaped  hill 
is  in  all  probability  the  true  Calvary,  and  that  the  rock-cut  sepulchre  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  hill  answers  all  the  conditions  of  the  tomb  in  which 
the  body  of  the  Christ  lay. 

I  have  penned  these  words  in  a  room  cut  into  the  rock,  just  below  the  Skull 
Hill,  where  lives  the  old  Christian  man  who  watches  over  the  new-found  tomb, 
who  insists  that  he  stays  in  the  house  occupied  by  the  gardener  whom  Mary  thought 
she  saw  when  she  looked  upon  the  resurrected  Lord. 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN. 


349 


Christ's  Birthplace. 

Mounted  upon  a  fine  horse,  it  was  with  anticipations  of  great  pleasure  that  I 
passed  through  the  Jaffa  Gate,  and  leaving  Jerusalem  to  the  north,  passed  into  the 
Valley  of  Gihon,  on  the  way  to  the  birthplace  of  the  King  of  kings. 


THE   TRADITIONAL,  STONE;   OF   ELIJAH,    NEAR   BETHLEHEM. 

Every  new  view  of  the  historic  valleys,  meadows  and  hillocks  recalls  events 
that  are  and  sh^ll  always  be  of  stupendous  importance  and  thrilling  interest  to 
the  world. 

We  are  now  in  the  plain  which  marks  the  boundary  line  between  Judah  and 
Benjamin,  where  the  Philistines  were  defeated  by  David;  presently  there  is  pointed 
out  a  well  where  tradition  tells  us  that  the  wise  men  from  the  east  on   their  way 


350  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

to  the  manger  of  the  child  Jesus,  stooping  to  draw  water,  saw  the  star  reflected 
in  the  water. 

Here  is  the  spot  where  it  is  said  the  prophet  Elijah  rested  on  his  flight  from 
the  fiery  Jezebel,  and  less  than  a  mile  farther  we  approach  the  tomb  of  Rachel, 
which  brings  to  mind  the  touching  story  of  the  death  of  Jacob's  loved  wife,  as  given 
in  the  thirty-fifth  chapter  of  Genesis,  just  before  she  reached  her  journey's  end. 

After  a  short  six -mile  ride  on  an  elongated  hill,  well  cultivated  in  terraces 
round  the  sides  and  with  fertile  grain  fields  in  the  valley  below,  we  look  upon 
Bethlehem. 

The  groups  of  women  in  white  robes  standing  yonder  on  a  terrace  just  under 
the  town,  gesticulating  to  one  another  in  vigorous  conversation,  remind  one  of 
the  group  that  surrounded  Naomi,  the  sorrow-stricken  widow   returning  to  this, 
her  native  home,  with  exclamations  of  surprise  at  her  haggard  face. 

The  men  and  women  in  yonder  field  cutting  the  golden  grain  give  you  a 
vivid  picture  of  Ruth  gleaning  after  the  reapers,  when  Boaz  saw  her  in  these  very 
fields  about  Bethlehem,  loved  her  for  her  love,  and  in  process  of  time  she  became 
the  grandmother  of  David  the  king  and  the  ancestress  of  Christ. 

It  was  upon  one  of  these  hills  that  David,  the  ruddy  youth,  kept  his  father's 
sheep,  as  the  3'oung  boy  is  doing  on  the  green  slope  before  you,  and  it  was  in  the 
sunshine  and  shadow  of  these  vales  and  hillocks  that  God  created  within  him 
those  treasures  of  music  and  poetry  that  have  enriched  all  the  centuries. 

The  Scripture  allusions  to  Bethlehem,  which  we  now  enter,  are  very 
numerous.  Here  it  was  that  Samuel  anointed  David  to  be  king  of  Israel,  and  in  the 
adjacent  hill  country  the  shepherd  boy  encountered  wild  beasts,  and  composed  his 
earliest  Psalms.  From  here  he  was  sent  to  minister  to  the  diseased  mind  of  Saul 
by  his  melodious  harpings.  Hence  he  went  forth  to  see  his  brethren  with  the 
army  and  slay  the  giant  champion  of  Philistia. 

This  little  city  was  one  of  the  strongholds  fortified  by  Rehoboam  after  the 
division  of  the  kingdom,  and  it  figured  conspicuously  in  the  political  life  of  the 
ancient  Hebrews;  but,  above  all,  it  was  the  prophecy  of  Micah  and  its  wonderful 
fulfillment  which  make  Bethlehem  a  household  word  wherever  Christianity  is 
professed,  and  cause  millions  all  over  the  world  to  turn  their  thoughts  toward  this 
Judean  village  as  Christmastide  comes  round.  "And,  thou,  Bethlehem, 
Ephratah,  though  thou  be  little  among  the  thousands  of  Judah,  3'et  out  of  thee 
shall  He  come  forth  unto  me  that  is  to  be  ruler  in  Israel,  whose  goings  forth  have 
been  from  of  old,  from  everlasting." 

The  angelic  announcement  made  to  the  shepherds  as  they  kept  their  sheep  by 
night  nearby,  and  the  wondrous  events  recorded  in  detail  by  the  Eva'ngelists 
Matthew  and  Euke,  and  summed  up  by  St.  John  in  the  statement  that  "the  Word 
was  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us,"  have  made  this  place  known  in  all  civilized 
lands. 


A   BETHI.EHKM  MERCHANT. 


(351) 


352  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

At  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  village  we  find  a  confused  fortress,  like  a  pile 
of  buildings,  which  comprises  the  Church  of  the  Nativity,  and  the  three  contig- 
uous convents  belong  respectively  to  the  Latin,  Greek  and  Armenian  Churches. 

Church  of  the  Nativity. 

The  nave  of  the  church,  which  is  the  common  property  of  all  Christians,  is 
supposed  to  be  the  oldest  monument  of  Christian  architecture  in  the  world. 

In  the  chapel  of  St.  Helena  (named  for  the  mother  of  Constantine)  there  are 
forty-four  marble  columns,  taken  from  Mount  Moriah,  supposed  to  have  been 
originally  in  the  porches  of  the  great  temple. 

Descending  a  spiral  staircase  we  enter  the  Grotto  of  the  Nativity,  which  is 
a  cave  in  the  rock,  over  and  around  which  the  church  and  convent  buildings  are 
reared.  The  vault  is  33  feet  by  1 1  feet,  encased  with  Italian  marble  and  decorated 
with  numerous  lamps,  figures  of  saints,  embroidery  and  other  ornaments. 

A  silver  star  on  the  floor  of  the  grotto  indicates  the  traditional  spot  where 
the  Saviour  was  born;  above  it  sixteen  silver  lamps  are  perpetually  burning,  and 
around  the  star  are  the  words:     Hie  de  virgine  Maria  Jesus  Christus  natus  est. 

That  caves  in  the  hillside  adjacent  to  the  inn  were  utilized  as  stables  for  the 
cattle,  especially  when  the  inn  was  crowded,  and  that  in  such  a  cave  the  Redeemer 
was  born,  is  a  tradition  commonly  accepted  as  early  as  the  time  of  Justin  Martyr, 
about  a  hundred  years  after  the  facts  occurred.  This,  therefore,  may  be  the 
actual  place  of  Christ's  birth. 

St.  Jerome's  Grotto. 

St.  Jerome,  who  ardently  believed  in  this  grotto  as  his  Saviour's  birthplace, 
spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  just  here.  Here  he  fasted,  prayed,  dreamed  and 
studied;  here  he  gathered  round  him  his  devoted  followers  in  the  small  commu- 
nities which  formed  the  beginnings  of  conventual  life  in  Palestine;  here  his  fiery 
spirit  vented  itself  in  the  treatises,  letters  and  commentaries  which  he  sent  forth 
from  his  retirement  to  terrify  and  enlighten  the  western  world;  here  he  made  the 
famous  translation  of  the  Scriptures  which  is  still  the  ''Biblia  Vidgata''  of  the 
Latin  Church;  and  here  took  place  his  pathetic  death,  which  Domenichino  has  .so 
vividly  portrayed  in  his  world-renowned  picture. 

Near  the  outskirts  of  the  town  is  seen  the  well  of  Bethlehem,  or  David's 
Well,  which  is  referred  to  in   2  Samuel  xxiii.  13-17,  and    i  Chronicles  xi.  15-19. 

When  David  and  his  men  were  in  the  cave  of  Adullam  (which  is  still 
pointed  out),  and  Bethlehem  was  garrisoned  by  the  Philistines,  David  expressed 
the  de.sire,  "Oh,  that  one  would  give  me  to  drink  of  the  water  of  the  well  of 
Bethlehem,  that  is  at  the  gate."  Three  brave  men  heard  the  wish  of  their  leader, 
rushed  through  the  hosts  of  the  enemy  and  brought  him   the  cooling  drink  he 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  353 

longed  for,  but  David  would  not  drink  of  the  water  because  the  lives  of  his  men 
had  been  hazarded. 

The  Shepherds'  Field. 

From  an  elevated  and  most  picturesque  spot  near  the  walls  of  the  old  cit}-  can 
be  seen  the  Shepherds'  Field,  which  stretches  for  miles  over  the  green  meadows 
and  hill  slopes. 

As  we  looked  out  upon  the  charming  landscape,  yonder  in  the  distance  could 
be  seen  a  group  of  shepherds,  with  long  crooks  in  their  hands,  watching  over 
the  flocks  as  they  quietly  fed  in  the  vales.  My  guide  informs  me  that  all  during 
the  spring  months,  in  these  fields  the  shepherds  watch  their  sheep  by  night. 
"And  there  were  in  the  same  country  shepherds  abiding  in  the  fields,  keeping 
watch  over  their  flock  by  night.  And  lo!  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came  upon  them, 
and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shone  round  about  them;  and  they  were  sore  afraid. 
And  the  angel  said,  Fear  not;  for  behold  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy, 
which  shall  be  to  all  people.  For  unto  you  is  born  this  daj'  in  the  City  of  David 
a  Saviour,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord.  And  this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  you:  Ye  shall 
find  the  babe  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes,  lying  in  a  manger.  And  suddenly 
there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  hosts  praising  God,  and 
saying.  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward  men." 

The  Pools  of  Solomon. 

The  immense  basins,  a  few  miles  south  of  Jerusalem,  known  as  Solomon's 
Pools,  are  in  such  an  admirable  state  of  preservation  that  you  can  hardly  realize 
that  they  are  more  than  a  century  old,  but  it  is  probable  that  they  date  from 
Solomon's  time,  although  we  know  that  they  were  restored  by  Pontius  Pilate. 

At  present  water  is  conveyed  from  these  pools  only  as  far  as  Bethlehem, 
although  the  course  of  the  aqueduct  can  be  traced  to  the  old  court  of  the  temple, 
a  distance  of  nearly  fourteen  miles,  and  it  is  reported  that  the  Turkish  govern- 
ment has  on  hand  funds  for  the  restoration  of  these  pools  to  their  original  state 
of  usefulness. 

There  is  near  the  upper  pool  a  huge  building  with  castellated  walls,  obviously 


of  Saracenic  origin. 


The  Sealed  Fountain. 


A  short  distance  to  the  right  of  this  castle  is  the  sealed  fountain  of  Solomon 
(Song  of  Sol.  iv.  12),  which  regulated  and  secured  the  constant  supply  of  water 
for  the  Holy  City. 

The  pools  consist  of  three  enormous  cisterns  of  marble  masonry,  and  their 
measurements  are  as  follows:     The  lower  pool  is  in  length  582  feet;  breadth,  east 

23 


354 


AROUND   THE   WORT.D 


end,  207  feet;  west,  148  feet;  depth  at  east  end,  50  feet.  Dr.  Thomson  says 
that  "when  full  it  would  float  the  largest  man-of-war  that  ever  plowed  the 
ocean . ' ' 

The  middle  pool  is  located  248  feet  above  the  lower  pool   and   is  423  feet   in 


ti*  *^  . 


GIBEON,    THE   SCENE   OF  SOI^OMON'S   SACRIFICE. 

length,  250  feet  in  breadth  at  the  east  end  and  160  feet  at  the  west  end  and  is  39 
feet  in  depth  at  the  east  end. 

The  upper  pool  is  160  feet  above  the  middle  pool  and  in  length  is  380  feet,  in 
breadth  at  the  east  end  236  feet,  at  the  west  end  229  feet,  and  has  a  depth  of 
25  feet. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  355 

For  more  than  three  hours  from  these  pools  we  passed  over  a  rough  road 
southward.  Vallej-s  and  spurs  of  hills  are  crossed  and  olive  groves,  vineyards 
and  fig  gardens  are  seen  on  either  side  during  much  of  the  way.  Merchantmen, 
with  their  long  camel  trains,  are  frequentl}-  met;  and  husbandmen  are  seen  fol- 
lowing their  one-handled  plows,  drawn  b}-  donkeys  and  oxen. 

The  House  of  Abraham. 

Soon  we  reached  a  spot  where  the  Jews  declare  that  their  Father  Abraham 
pitched  his  tent,  whicn  is  still  known  as  the  House  of  Abraham. 

A  crowd  of  thoughts  rushed  through  our  minds  as  we  passed  over  the  old 
road  to  Hebron,  probabl}'  the  oldest  road  in  the  world.  Over  it  Abraham  passed 
on  that  journey  of  faith  to  sacrifice  his  son  of  promise  on  Mount  Moriah;  over  it 
David  led  his  faithful  host  to  conquer  the  stronghold  of  the  Jebusites,  on  Zion; 
here,  doubtless,  Isaac,  Jacob  and  Solomon  walked,  thinking  of  the  destinj-  of  that 
nation  which  promised  to  be  the  centre  of  universal  empire,  and  along  this 
way,  perhaps,  the  child  Jesus  was  borne  in  His  mother's  arms  on  the  flight  to 
Egypt. 

The  Town  of  Hebron. 

We  were  somewhat  wearied  when  we  passed  through  the  gate  of  the  old  city 
of  Hebron,  one  of  the  most  ancient  cities  in  the  world.  We  know  that  it  was 
built  seven  years  before  Zoan  (Numbers  xiii.  22),  that  is,  Tanis  in  Egypt,  and 
when  Josephus  wrote  it  was  2300  years  old.  It  was  a  walled  city  in  the  time  of 
Abraham  (Gen.  xxiii.  10),  and  we  also  learn  from  Genesis  that  Damascus  was  a 
city  at  the  same  time,  but  which  can  claim  seniority  is  not  known. 

Here  lived  the  father  of  his  people  and  the  "friend  of  God;"  from  this  place 
Joseph  went  forth  to  seek  his  brethren  in  Shechem,  where  his  strange  fate  befell 
him;  here  it  was  that  Joshua  waged  fierce  struggles;  this  was  selected  as  one  of 
the  cities  of  refuge,  unto  which  the  pursued  man-slayer  might  flee;  it  was  here 
that  David  had  his  residence  for  over  seven  years,  when  he  reigned  over  Judah 
alone.  Here  Absalom  was  born  and  led  his  wild,  faithless  life;  and  in  this  place 
was  Abner  treacherously  murdered  by  Joab. 

Hebron  is  situated  in  the  narrow  Valley  of  Eschol,  still  abounding  in  vine- 
yards; the  streets  are  dark  and  dirty  and  the  houses  are  mostly  built  of  stone  and 
covered  over  with  cupolas  or  small  domes,  which  give  a  curious  and  interesting 
effect. 

Of  the  12,000  people  who  live  in  this  unique  old  town  about  600  are  Jews, 
who  attract  attention  by  their  pale  faces  and  long  ringlets.  The  Moslems,  who 
compose  the  rest  of  the  population,  are  noted  for  their  rank  fanaticism  and  super- 
stition, which  fact  makes  it  dangerous  for  Christians  to  visit  the  place  unguarded. 


356  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

At  the  entrance  to  the  city  we  were  met  by  a  Turkish  official,  who,  armed  to 
the  teeth,  went  before  us  in  all  of  our  walks  and  drives  through  the  streets. 

Only  recently  an  Englishman  was  set  upon  by  a  crowd  of  these  roughs  and 
only  escaped  with  his  life. 

The  Cave  of  flachpelah. 

The  Cave  of  Machpelah  is  the  object  of  the  greatest  interest  in  Hebron.  It 
recalls  some  of  the  most  touching  of  the  Old  Testament  scenes. 

When  Sarah,  the  wife  of  the  patriarch,  died,  we  read  that  "Abraham  stood 
up  from  before  his  dead  and  spake  unto  the  sous  of  Heth,  saying:  'I  am  a 
stranger  and  a  sojourner  with  you;  give  me  a  possession  of  a  burying  place  with 
3'ou,  that  I  may  bury  my  dead  out  of  my  sight.'  "  The  contract  was  made  in 
the  gate  of  the  city,  and  the  field,  the  cave,  the  trees  in  the  field,  all  were  "made 
sure  to  Abraham  for  a  possession,  and  Abraham  buried  Sarah,  his  wife,  in  the 
cave  of  the  field  of  Machpelah."     (Gen.  23.) 

Patriarchs'  Burial  Place. 

As  old  Jacob  laj'  a-dying  he  tenderly  spoke  of  this  Cave  of  Machpelah,  and 
said:  "  There  they  buried  Abraham  and  Sarah,  his  wife;  there  they  buried  Isaac 
and  Rebekah,  his  wife,  and  there  I  buried  lycah."  He  gave  explicit  directions 
that  his  body  should  rest  there  with  his  fathers. 

Perhaps  there  was  never  a  grander  funeral  than  that  of  Jacob,  when  Joseph, 
"  with  all  the  servants  of  Pharaoh,  the  elders  of  his  house,  and  all  the  elders  of 
the  land  of  Egypt,  and  all  the  house  of  Joseph,  and  his  brethren  and  his  father's 
house,  and  chariots  and  horsemen"  carried  the  embalmed  body  from  Egypt  into 
the  land  of  Canaan  to  the  Cave  of  Machpelah. 

Closed  to  Jew  and  Gentile. 

It  seems  strange  that  the  brutal  Turkish  government  should  be  allowed  to 
close  the  doors  to  this  cave,  that  is  of  such  great  interest  to  the  Christian  world 
and  to  all  who  are  concerned  about  ancient  Israel.  The  only  Christian  visitors 
who  have  ever  crossed  the  threshold  of  the  building  that  covers  the  cave  are  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  the  Marquis  of  Bute,  the  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia,  General  Lew 
Wallace,  Princes  Albert  Victor  and  George  of  Wales. 

I  was  shown  cracks  and  rents  along  the  walls  where  devout  Jews  are  accus- 
tomed to  place  written  prayers  addressed  to  their  Father  Abraham.  I  have  before 
me  an  exact  copy  of  one  of  these  prayerful  epistles,  and  the  Jewish  mother  who 
wrote  it  and  attempted  to  put  it  into  the  cave  where  the  bodies  of  her  distin- 
guished ancestors  rest  appeals  most  pathetically  for  individual,  domestic  and 
national  blessings. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


357 


The  Oak  of  Abraham. 

This  is  believed  to  be  the  onlj^  spot  on  earth  which  attracts  to  it  all  who 
possess  the  one  creed,  "  I  believe  in  God."  The  Hoh'  Sepulchre  in  Jerusalem 
separates  Mosletn,  Jew"  and  Christian,  but  here  they  meet  with  a  reverence 
equally  affectionate.  Not  far  awaj^  from  the  cave  the  Oak  of  Abraham  is  visited, 
where  it  is  supposed  that  the  Lord  appeared  to  the  patriarch  as  he  sat  in  his  tent 
door  and  gave  him  the  account  of  the  coming  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah. It  is  certain  that  in  this  neighborhood  this  wonderful  conference  took  place, 
but  that  this  oak,  old  as  it  seems,  was  then  standing  is  as  probable  as  that  the 
grave  of  Adam  has  been  identified. 


SYRIAN   PEASANT   MOTHER   AND   DAUGHTER. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
PEOPLES  AND  PLACES  OF  THE  SOUTH  AND  NORTH. 

'{^  URING  the  course  of  a  month  I  have  ridden  on  horseback  more 
than  four  hundred  miles  through  Palestine  and  Syriaon  my 
way  to  Asia  Minor. 

On  this  long  tour,  with  the  aid  of  an  excellent  dragoman, 
I  have  not  only  been  enabled  to  visit  the  principal  cities  and 
towns  of  these  historically  interesting  countries,  of  which  I  have 
written,  but  I  have  had  occasion  to  study  the  habits  and  customs  of  the  wild 
Bedouin  tribes  that  live  their  unsettled  lives  in  these  valleys  and  along  these 
mountain  slopes. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  Jordan  river  there  are  many  of  these  roving 
bodies  of  men,  women  and  children,  divided  into  different  family  tribes,  but  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  river  there  are  only  a  few  tribes  much  larger  than  the 
others  and  very  much  wilder.  Each  tribe  has  a  sheik  or  prince,  who  is  final 
authority  on  all  questions,  and  often  has  the  power  of  life  and  death.  This  office 
is  hereditary,  as  a  rule.  When  an  election  is  necessar}^  it  is  done  by  vocal  decla- 
ration, must  in  all  cases  be  unanimous,  and  must  be  endorsed  b)'  the  government 
at  Constantinople. 

The  head  of  each  tribe  is  legally  required  to  pay  to  the  Sultan  one  Turkish 
pound  (nearl}^  five  dollars),  for  each  man  who  is  able  to  go  to  war,  which  amount, 
paid  yearly,  rids  these  men  from  military  duty  under  the  government.  Certain 
districts  of  country  are  allowed  these  tribes  where  their  tents  and  herds  are 
usually  found,  but  frequently  they  roam  in  other  parts  of  the  land,  carrying  on 
their  independent  raids  until  they  are  driven  into  their  own  regions  by  Turkish 
guns. 

Their  tents  are  generally  made  of  the  hair  of  goats,  ingeniously  woven,  and 
their  food  consists  nearly  altogether  of  bread  made  into  thin  wafers,  looking  very 
much  like  sheets  of  sandpaper,  butter  made  from  the  goat  and  buffalo  cow  and 
fish,  which  abound  in  all  the  streams. 

The  Bedouins  are  natural  born  robbers,  and  it  is  always  unsafe  for  any  one  to 
pass  through  their  country  unguarded. 

Some  time  ago  a  party  was  visiting  the  Jordan  and  Dead  Sea  with  the 
usual  guard;  but  four  of  the  number  separated  from  the  others,  and  in  less  than 

(358) 


WITH   EYES   WIDE    OPEN.  359 

two  hours  they  were  seized,  and  robbed  of  their  horses,  money  and  clothing.     A 
most  pitiable  set  they  were,  I  am  told,  when  they  reached  their  tents  after  night. 

An  American  Guide's  Story. 

Mr.  Rolla  Floyd,  who  is  the  only  American  dragoman  in  Palestine  and  Syria, 
entertained  me  for  several  days  by  a  recital  of  some  of  his  experiences  during  a 
thirty  years'  stay  in  the  country. 

Not  long  since,  while  accompanying  a  number  of  ladies  and  gentlemen 
through  the  desert,  in  the  neighborhood  of  ancient  Shechem,  a  noise  was  heard 
in  the  hills  near  by;  and,  on  turning,  he  found  they  were  being  surrounded  by 
forty  or  fifty  Bedouins,  headed  by  their  sheik.  Of  course  there  was  great  terror 
among  the  party,  and  for  a  while  Mr.  Floyd  was  stricken  with  fear.  But  a  for- 
tunate thought  occurred  to  the  dragoman.  It  is  a  custom  among  these  wild 
tribes  to  befriend  any  one  who  is  in  trouble,  if  he  reaches  the  sheik  and,  seizing 
his  belt,  exclaims:     "  I  am  your  guest." 

While  demands  were  being  made  upon  Mr.  Floyd  and  those  under  his  protec- 
tion, and  the  robbers  were  in  the  act  of  carrying  out  their  desires,  he  rushed 
forward  and,  taking  a  strong  grip  upon  the  belt  of  the  sheik,  exclaimed,  in 
Arabic,  "These  are  all  your  guests."  This  acted  like  magic.  The  robbery  was 
ordered  off ;  the  sheik  drew  his  sword  and  in  a  most  pompous  manner  announced 
to  his  men  that  the  party  was  under  his  protection  and  guidance,  and,  leading  the 
way,  he  guided  them  for  hours  through  the  desert. 

When  I  was  suddenly  approached  by  a  band  of  these  barbarians  at  ten 
o'clock  at  night,  in  the  wild  country  east  of  the  Jordan,  by  the  moonlight  I  saw 
that  there  was  no  belt  to  seize.  As  all  of  them  were  clothed  in  single  and 
unadorned  garments,  I  resorted  to  another  device,  which  proved  just  as  effective, 
though  not  so  dignified,  and  which  put  me  quite  a  distance  from  them  in  a  very 
short  time. 

A  Missionary's  Adventure. 

Mr.  Carey,  whose  life-long  residence  in  Palestine  and  Syria  furnishes  him 
with  a  fund  of  information  on  this  subject  that  is  possessed  by  few,  gave  me  an 
account  of  a  personal  episode  with  the  Bedouins  which  illustrates  their  exceeding 
kind-heartedness  after  they  have  robbed  you  of  everything  that  they  can  lay 
their  hands  on. 

Mr.  Carey  left  his  home  in  Nablous  on  a  missionary  tour  among  the  moun- 
tains once  owned  by  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  east  of  the  Jordan  river.  After  crossing 
the  stream  he  had  not  gone  many  miles  when  he  was  surrounded  by  a  score  of 
these  men,  who,  lifting  him  off  his  beast,  stripped  him  of  his  clothing  and,  while 
he    sat  on  a  cool   rock  near  by   and  watched  the  performance,  they  examined 


36o 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


carefully  all  of  the  garments,  ripping  open  the  linings  of  his  coat,  and  after  they  had 
taken  everything,  even  his  pocket-knife,  they  tossed  him  his  clothing  and  politely 
informed  him  that  he  could  go  his  way. 

As  it  was  now  late  in  the  evening,  he  told  them  that  he  could  not  continue 
his  journey  after  dark  without  losing  his  way,  and  requested  that  they  would  take 
care  of  him  until  the  next  morning.  They  immediately  and  gladly  agreed  to  do 
this,  helped  him  on  his  donkey,  led  the  way  through  the  valley  to   the  place  of 


PALESTINE   MAT  WEAVERS. 

their  encampment,  cooked  him  food,  listened  most  attentively  w^hile  he  told  them 
Bible  stories,  tucked  him  in  bed  and  started  him  on  his  journey  next  day  with 
everything  that  he  had  when  he  met  them  except  his  money  and  other  things  in 
his  traveling-bag  that  the}-  could  possibly  use. 

It  seems  that  the  belt  trick  is  not  known  among  the  inhabitants  of  Reuben's 
ancient  province.  I  had  occasion  to  visit  one  of  their  encampments,  but  it  is 
impossible  for  me  to  picture  adequately  tlfeir  mode  of  living. 


(3^3  U 


362  AROUND   THE   WORIvD 

Each  famil}'  in  the  general  family  tribe  occupies  a  small  tent  of  one  room, 
which  is  the  sleeping,  cooking  and  working  apartment.  The  floor  is  the  bare 
ground,  which  in  a  few  cases  may  be  partl}^  covered  bj'  bits  of  dirty  goat-hair  cloth. 

The  eating  is  done  in  front  of  the  tents,  where  the  family  sits  in  a  semicircle, 
using  their  palms  as  plates  and  fingers  as  forks.  A  peculiarly  distasteful  butter, 
churned  from  the  milk  of  the  goat  and  buffalo  cow,  is  their  chief  means  of  sup- 
port, and,  as  a  rule,  they  reside  in  one  locality  not  more  than  two  months. 

They  claim  a  direct  descent  from  Abraham,  who  was,  they  insist,  a  wealthy 
sheik  of  a  large  tribe. 

Home  of  EH  and  Samuel. 

It  was  in  the  city  of  Shiloh  that  Joshua  divided  the  land  among  the  tribes, 
and  here  the  tabernacle  was  reared;  here  dwelt  old  man  Eli  and  the  boy  Samuel, 
whose  strange  experiences  are  recorded  in  the  first  book  of  Samuel. 

As  we  ride  northward  the  fields  abound  in  heavy-headed  grain,  the  fig  and 
olive  groves  stretch  for  miles  before  us,  and  to  the  right  Mount  Ebal  and  to  the 
left  Mount  Gerizim  loom  up. 

At  Jacob's  Well. 

In  the  valley  dividing  them  we  reach  the  famous  Jacob's  Well,  where  Christ 
held  His  memorable  conversation  with  a  Samaritan  woman. 

The  authenticity  of  this  place  has  never  been  doubted.  Doubtless  here  the 
Saviour  sat,  and  over  to  the  right  is  the  parcel  of  ground  that  Jacob  gave  to  his 
son  Joseph. 

The  well  is  not  a  spring  of  water  bubbling  up  from  the  earth,  nor  is  it  reached 
by  an  excavation,  but  it  is  a  shaft  cut  in  the  living  rock  about  nine  feet  in  diameter, 
and  now  more  than  seventy  feet  deep.  The  mouth  is  funnel-shaped,  and  its  sides 
are  formed  by  the  rubbish  of  a  church  building  that  was  once  erected  over  it. 

Passing  between  the  mountains  of  Gerizim,  where  blessings  were  pronounced 
upon  the  people,  and  Ebal,  where  curses  were  poured  out  upon  them,  we 
encamped  for  the  night  at  ancient  Shechem. 

Somewhere  about  here  Joseph  was  seized  by  his  brethren  and  sold  to  the  Ish- 
maelites,  and  his  bones  were  brought  from  Egypt  and  buried  here. 

On  these  plains  all  Israel  assembled  in  the  time  of  Joshua.  After  the  death 
of  Solomon  this  city  was  made  the  seat  of  government  under  Jeroboam.  After 
the  return  from  the  captivity  it  became  the  centre  of  Samaritan  worship. 

After  His  talk  with  the  Samaritan  woman  Christ  tarried  here  two  days  and 

many  believed  in  Him. 

The  Samaritans. 

There  is,  and  alwavs  has  been,  a  bitter  animosity  between  the  Jews  and  the 
Samaritans,  and  it  became  a  sin  on  either  side  to  extend  the  rights  of  hospitality. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


363 


The  greatest  curiosity  to  be  seen  in  the  old  sj-nagogue  is  the  celebrated 
Samaritan  Codex  of  the  Pentateuch,  which  is  affirmed  to  have  been  written  by  a 
grandson  of  Aaron,  but  which  is  certainly  not  older  than  the  Christian  era 

On  Mount  Gerizim. 

The  view  from  the  summit  of  Mount  Gerizim  is  exquisite.  In  the  far  west 
are  the  waters  of  the  Mediterranean;  in  the  north  the  snowy  top  of  Hermon,  partly 
intercepted  by  Mount  Ebal;  below,  to  the  east,  is  the  fertile  plain  that  was  the 
arena  of  so  many  important  events  in  sacred  history,  and  beyond  are  the  mountains 
of  Gilead. 

There  is  only  a  small  number  of  them  left  who  exclusively  follow  their  old 
customs  and  inhabit  what  is  known  as  the  Samaritan  quarter  of  the  city.  They 
believe  in  one  God,  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  the  advent  of  the  Messiah,  the 
Mosaic  system  of  feasts,  and 
they  acknowledge  only  the 
authority  of  the  Pentateuch  in 
the  Old  Testament  writings. 

The  journey  from  Shec- 
hem  (now  called  Nabulus)  to 
Samaria  is  through  the  beau- 
tiful valle}^  where  every  va- 
riety of  vegetation  is  seen, 
and  where  I  counted  in  one 
large  field  thirty-two  plowmen 
at  work. 

The  City  of  Samaria. 

Entering  the  city  of  Sa- 
maria, as  one  looks  upon  the 
desolate  scene,  the  burden  of 
prophecy  comes  to  mind 
(Hoseaxiii.  16),  and  the  story 
of  the  siege  of  Samaria,  as 
given  in  2  Kings  vi.  24-33, 
lend  a  peculiar  interest  to  a 
place  that  once  exerted  such 
a  mighty  influence,  but  is  now  largely  a  pile  of   magnificent  ruins. 

From  this  desolation  we  turn  toward  the  romantic  plain  of  Esdraelon,  which 
stretches  from  the  Mediterranean  on  the  west  across  Central  Palestine,  with  an 
average  width  of  ten  or  twelve  miles,  to  the  river  Jordan,  on  the  east.  These 
fertile  meadows,  which  now  smile  in  their  gay  dresses  of  wild  flowers  and  ripening 
grain,  have  for  centuries  been  the  scene  of  plunder  and  war. 


WEAVING. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


IN  SADDLE  AND  TENT. 


O  spend  thirty  days  in  saddle  and  tent  is  not  the  most  restful 
experience,  but  this  must  be  accomplished  if  one  would  cover 
the  length  and  breadth  of  Palestine  and  visit  all  the  places  of 
sacred  and  secular  history  that  have  made  this  wonderful  land 
so  famous. 

In  former  chapters  I  have  written  of  the  country  between 
Jaffa  and  Jerusalem,  of  the  Holy  City,  of  the  region  about  the 
Jordan  and  Dead  Sea,  of  the  country  south  of  Jerusalem,  and  of  the  city  of  the 
Samaritans. 

Accompanied  by  an  intelligent  conductor  and  a  native  dragoman,  who  fur- 
nished horses,  servants,  tents  and  provisions  for  several  weeks'  trip,  a  congenial 
party  of  ten  Anglo-Saxons,  forming  quite  a  caravan,  moved  out  of  Jerusalem 
northward. 

From  the  beautiful  hill  Scopus  a  last  view  is  taken  of  the  Holy  City,  which 
leaves  an  indelible  impression  on  the  mind. 

The  town  of  Nob  is  soon  passed,  where  David  came  for  Goliath's  sword, 
where  he  ate  the  shewbread  which  Christ  commended  and  where  the  tabernacle  , 
and  ark  were  stationed  in  the  time  of  Saul.  A  mile  or  two  further  the  site  of 
Gibeah,  the  native  place  of  the  first  king  of  Israel,  is  pointed  out,  where  seven 
descendants  of  Saul  were  hanged  by  the  Amorites,  and  which  was  the  scene  of 
one  of  the  most  touching  stories  of  motherly  love  on  record,  as  given  in  2  Samuel 
xxi  chapter. 

To  the  left  we  now  have  Mizpah,  where  Saul  was  chosen  king,  and  to  the 
north  is  Gibeon,  the  place  where  Solomon  offered  a  thousand  burnt  offerings  and 
the  lyord  appeared  to  him  in  a  dream. 

We  pause  for  a  short  while  at  the  spot  where  tradition  tells  us  Mary  missed 
the  young  boy  Jesus  and  returning  to  Jerusalem  found  Him  in  the  temple  asking 
and  answering  questions,  and  an  hour  later  we  reach  Bethel. 

Records  of  Bethel. 

Here  Abraham  reared  an  altar,  and  from  this  place  he  went  into  Egypt  and 
fell  into  temptation,  dishonoring  God  before  the  heathen  king,  who  dismissed  him 
from  the  country;  here  Jacob,  weary  with  his  forty  miles'  journey,  lay  his  head 

(364) 


WITH    EYES    WIDE   OPEN.  365 

upon  a  pillow  of  stone  and  had  that  wondrous  dream  of  angels  ascending  and 
descending  the  mystic  ladder  which  made  him  exclaim:  "  This  is  none  other  than 
the  house  of  God  and  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven,"  and  he  called  the  name  of  that 
place  Bethel.  At  this  place  Jeroboam  set  up  a  golden  calf  and  tried  to  wean  the 
people  from  the  service  of  God,  and  hereabouts  the  bears  tore  forty- two  children, 
who  cried  to  Elisha:    "  Go  up,  thou  bald  head." 

After  passing  over  a  barren,  rocky  hill,  we  enter  the  vineyards  and  orchards 
of  the  land  of  Ephraim,  which  is  as  fertile  and  picturesque  as  any  part  of  Pales- 
tine. But  Shiloh  must  not  be  passed  unnoticed.  Its  large  heap  of  ruins  seem  to 
be  a  singularly  graphic  fulfillment  of  the  terrible  prophecy  of  Jeremiah. 

Following  the  Footsteps  of  the  Christ. 

The  fourth  day  out  from  Jerusalem  in  our  northward  journey  we  camped  on 
the   Plain  of  Esdraelon,  with  the  mountains  of  Gilboa  on  our  right. 

The  following  day,  as  we  entered  the  Valle}'  of  Jezreel,  associations  crowded 
upon  us. 

Here  is  where  Ahab  coveted  the  vineyard  of  Naboth;  in  this  neighborhood  is 
where  the  painted  Jezebel  proceeded  with  her  wicked  machinations,  and  where 
the  prophet  Elijah  came  down  upon  her  with  messages  of  wrath.  It  was  along 
this  wa}'  that  Jehu  came  "driving  furiously' '  and  put  Jehoram  to  death;  and  it  was 
in  this  valley  that  Gideon  gained  his  famous  victory  over  the  Midianites. 

The  Valley  of  Jezreel. 

On  this  very  ground  Saul  pitched  his  camp,  while  the  Philistines  encamped 
over  there  at  Shunem  and  here  it  was  that  he  was  alarmed  when  he  saw  the  host  of 
the  Philistines,  and  under  cover  of  darkness  visited  the  witch  of  Endor. 

During  the  next  two  hours'  ride  we  pass  Gideon's  Fountain,  where  his  300 
men  lapped  water,  putting  the  hand  to  the  mouth.  Next  comes  Shunem,  where 
the  woman  lived  who  entertained  Elisha  and  whose  son  he  raised  from  the  dead. 
Beyond  lies  the  village  of  Nain,  where  Christ  raised  the  widow's  son  (Luke  vii.  11- 
16),  and  a  short  ride  across  the  plain  brings  us  to  the  foot  of  Mount  Tabor,  from 
whose  altitude  of  2017  feet,  the  traditional  scene  of  the  transfiguration,  the  eye 
can  range  from  the  vicinity  of  Dan  on  the  north  to  Beersheba  on  the  south. 

riount  Tabor. 

Standing  almost  alone  in  the  plain.  Mount  Tabor  presents  a  mo.st  striking 
appearance.  It  is  somewhat  in  the  shape  of  a  sugar-loaf,  flattened  at  the  top. 
On  the  southern  side  it  is  rough  and  rugged,  with  nothing  but  barren  limestone 
visible;  northward  it  is  covered  with  thick  foliage,  oak,  terebinth  and  syringa 
ornamenting  it  from  base  to  summit;  elsewhere  it  presents  the  appearance  of  a 
series  of  well-planted  terraces. 


366 


AROUND   THE   WORI^D 


The  summit  of  the  mountain  is  a  broad  plateavt,  covered  with  the  ruins  of 
buildings  of  all  ages;  there  are  the  thick,  beveled  stones  of  a  wall,  very  ancient, 
undoubtedly,  and  there  are  the  remains  of  towers,  houses,  cisterns  and  vaults, 
probably  belonging  to  the  age  of  the  Crusaders. 

As  we  approach  the  high  hill  on  which  Nazareth  stands  a  sharp,  precipitous 
spur  of  the  mountain,  called  the  Mount  of  Precipitation,  is  pointed  out,  which 
name  arose  from  the  worthless  tradition  that  alleges  that  it  was  from  here  that  the 
people  of  Nazareth  sought  to  cast  the  Saviour  down  headlong.  It  is  about  two 
miles  from  the  town  and  about  as  improbable  a  site  as  could  have  been  selected. 

Nazareth. 


After  climbing  a  sharp  ascent  through  glens  and  gullies  and  over  steep  and 
rugged  places,  where  the  well-trained  Syrian  horses  pick  their  way  -with  mar- 
velous sagacity,  we  at  length 
enter  Nazareth,  where  the 
Christ  spent  thirty  years  of 
His  life. 

The  town,  as  seen  from 
the  enclosing  hill,  is  very  pic- 
turesque, backed  by  high  cliffs 
and  approached  from  under 
the  shade  of  spreading  oaks, 
with  substantial  looking 
houses  of  stone,  the  massive 
walls  of  a  large  church  and 
monastery  and  the  graceful 
minarets  of  two  mosques, 
overtopped  by  the  tall,  spiral 
forms  of  the  dark  green 
cypress  tree.  Nazareth  was 
the  residence  of  Joseph  and  Mary,  the  scene  of  the  annunciation,  the  place 
whence  Joseph  went  to  Bethlehem  "  to  be  taxed  with  Mary,  his  espoused  wife," 
and  the  home  of  our  Lord  until  He  entered  upon  His  public  ministry.  After- 
ward He  visited  the  place  of  His  boyhood  and  young  manhood,  when  His 
townsmen  attempted  to  cast  Him  from  the  brow  of  the  hill  and  kill  Him. 

Tradition  has  marked  many  spots  in  the  town,  associating  them  with  the  life 
of  Christ,  but  nothing  positive  can  be  asserted  about  these  localities. 

It  was  with  some  degree  of  satisfaction  that  I  visited  a  carpenter's  shop,  and 
as  it  is  quite  certain  that  for  centuries  and  centuries  these  shopmen  have    been 


FARMING  IN  VALLEY  OF  JEZREEL. 


< 


^ 

a 


> 

H 

0} 

Q 


1.307; 


368 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


doiug  the  same  kind  of  work,  I  imagined  that  the  man  and  boy  whom  I  watched 
at  work  were  engaged  in  the  same  kind  of  activity  as  were  Joseph  and  the  boy 
Jesus  nearly  nineteen  hundred  years  ago. 

The  Virgin's  Fountain. 

At  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin,  a  plentiful  spring  of  water  issuing  from  three 
mouths,  the  village  women  in  their  white  robes  and  bright  head-dresses  assemble, 

and  gracefully  bear  away  their 
well-filled  pitchers  on  their 
heads;  and  as  the  same  foun- 
tain has  been  in  use  ever 
since  the  town  was  inhab- 
ited, doubtless  she  who  was 
' '  blessed  among  women" 
would  often  come  here,  per- 
haps carrying  the  infant  Sa- 
viour in  just  the  same  fashion 
as  that  young  mother  yonder, 
who  moves  away  from  the 
sparkling  stream,  with  her 
pitcher  poised  on  her  head 
and  her  babe  in  her  arm. 

Among  the  remarkable 
things  in  the  modern  history 
of  Nazareth  are  the  circum- 
stances that  Napoleon  supped 
here  on  the  night  of  the  battle 
of  Tabor,  and  that  a  plot  was 
laid  here  b}^  Pasha  Jezzar  to 
murder  all  the  Christians  in 
his  dominions  as  soon  as  the 
French  had  evacuated.  His 
bloodthirsty  scheme,  however,  was  thwarted  by  Sir  Sydney  Smith,  the  English 
admiral. 

Cana  and  Mount  of  Beatitudes. 

As  we  ride  toward  the  Sea  of  Galilee  we  soon  approach  the  village  of  Cana, 
where  Christ  performed  His  first  miracle  at  the  marriage  feast,  when  "the  con- 
scious water  saw  its  Eord  and  blushed,"  where  He  healed  the  nobleman's  son  who 
lay  sick  at  Capernaum,  and  where  Nathaniel,  "  the  disciple  in  whom  there  was 
no  guile,"  was  born. 


A   PAI^ESTINE   BEDOUIN. 


24 


3(39) 


370  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

Resuming  our  journey,  we  have  now  on  our  left,  rising  up  out  of  the  fertile 
plain,  a  curiouslj^  shaped  hill,  having  on  its  summit  two  peaks  or  horns,  from 
which  it  derives  its  name  of  Horns  of  Hatton. 

This  is  known  as  the  Mount  of  Beatitudes,  where  it  is  supposed  our  Lord 
preached  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 

Another  tradition  makes  this  also  to  be  the  scene  of  the  feeding  of  the  five 
thousand,  as  recorded  in  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  Matthew. 

The  plain  before  us  was  the  last  battlefield  of  the  Crusaders.  Here,  in  July, 
1 187,  Saladin  defeated  them. 

The  Crusaders'  Battlefield. 

As  faithfully  chronicled  by  Michaud  we  read  that  at  nightfall  they  gathered 
together  by  the  Horns  of  Hatton,  Guy  of  Lusignau,  with  Raynald  of'chatillon, 
the  grand  master  of  the  Knights  Templar,  and  the  Bishop  of  Lydda,  bearing  the 
holy  cross. 

But  a  great  triumph  awaited  the  Moslem,  and  the  power  of  the  Crusaders 
was  broken  forever  in  the  Holy  Land.  King  Guy  was  taken  prisoner;  Chatillon, 
whom  Saladin  hated  with  a  peculiar  hatred,  was  killed,  and  all  the  army  of  the 
noble  knights  were  slain  or  taken  prisoner. 

The  more  one  sees  of  the  Moslem  rule  the  stronger  is  his  wish  that  ere  long 
some  power  may  rise  and  sweep  from  this  land  of  blessed  memory  a  nation  of 
brutes,  whose  barbarous  cruelty  is  only  exceeded  by  their  religious  hypocrisy. 

On  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 

A  magnificent  view  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  can  be  obtained  several  miles  before 
its  waters  are  reached. 

The  whole  of  the  lake,  from  below  Tiberias  on  the  right  to  Capernaum  on 
the  left,  is  distinctly  seen,  lying  in  a  basin  more  than  a  thousand  feet  below  the 
steeply-sloping  and  well-clothed  hills  upon  which  you  approach  it. 

Across  the  lake  rise  the  irregular  hills,  bare  and  barren  in  foliage,  but  rich 
and  varied  in  tone  and  tint;  behind  are  the  mountains  of  Galilee,  and  way  to  the 
north  snow-capped  Hermon  stands  in  its  spotless  purity  against  the  clear 
azure  sky. 

The  natural  beauty  is  only  exceeded  by  the  divine  associations. 

The  City  of  Jesus. 

Cast  out  from  Nazareth,  Jesus  made  Capernaum  on  the  lake  His  cit3^  Along 
these  shores  He  spent  the  principal  part  of  His  public  ministr}^,  and  to  record  the 
mighty  works  performed  within  sight  of  these  blue  waters  would  be  to  transcribe 
a  very  large  part  of  the  four  gospels. 


A   PAI^ESTINE   BURDEN   BEARER. 


(371) 


^72  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

From  the  banks  of  the  lake  He  called  Peter,  James  and  John,  the  inner  circk- 
of  His  chosen  band.  From  Simon's  boat  He  taught  the  people  on  the  shore,  fol- 
lowing His  talk  by  the  miracle  of  the  draught  of  fishes,  and  using  a  ship  as  His 
pulpit  He  delivered  that  marvelous  discourse  on  the  kingdom  of  Heaven.  Here 
it  was  that  He  gave  those  striking  parables  of  the  sower,  the  wheat  and  the  tares, 
the  grain  of  mustard  seed,  the  leaven  and  the  net  cast  into  the  sea.  It  was  on 
these  waters  that  a  great  tempest  arose,  when  He  rebuked  the  winds  and  the  sea 
and  there  was  a  great  calm. 

Divine  Associations. 

It  was  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  over  yonder  that  He  cast  the  devils  out  of  the 
men  from  the  tombs,  causing  the  destruction  of  the  herd  of  swine;  near  there  He 
fed  the  five  thousand  and  afterward  walked  on  the  crystal  pavement  of  the  sea 
toward  His  disciples,  rowing  in  the  storm. 

From  these  waters  He  caused  to  be  caught  the  fish,  in  whose  mouth  was 
found  the  piece  of  money  with  which  He  paid  tribute,  and  after  His  resurrection 
in  the  gray  dawn  of  the  morning  He  suddenly  appeared  to  His  disciples,  after 
they  had  toiled  all  night,  and  caught  nothing.  There  on  the  shore  He  kindled 
the  mysterious  fire  of  coals,  spread  the  farewell  meal,  and  there  the  impulsive 
disciple,  who,  three  times  warned,  had  thrice  denied  his  Lord,  by  threefold  con- 
fession, was  restored  and  reinstated  in  the  apostolic  ofiice. 

Camping  Near  Capernaum. 

On  the  site  of  Capernaum  we  camped,  and  from  my  tent  door  the  views  were 
verj^  striking. 

The  hills,  except  where  there  are  cliffs,  recede  gradually  from  the  lake;  they 
are  of  no  great  elevation,  but  everywhere  from  the  shore  the  snow  fields  of 
Hermon  are  visible. 

The  shore-line,  for  the  most  part  regular,  is  broken  on  the  north  into  a  series 
of  little  bays  of  exquisite  beauty,  especially  at  Gennesaret,  where  the  beaches, 
pearly  white  with  myriads  of  minute  shells,  are  on  one  side  bathed  by  the  clear 
waters  of  the  lake,  and  on  the  other  shut  in  by  a  fringe  of  oleanders,  rich  at  this 
time  of  the  year  with  their  blossoms,  red  and  bright. 

Lake  Gennesaret  and  the  Jordan. 

The  lake  is  pear-shaped,  the  broad  end  being  toward  the  north.  The  greatest 
width  is  six  and  three-quarter  miles,  and  the  extreme  length  is  twelve  and  a 
quarter  miles. 

The  Jordan  river  enters  at  the  north,  coloring  the  lake  for  a  mile  from  its 
mouth,  and  passes  out  pure  and  bright  at  the  south. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


373 


On  the  northwestern  shore  is  a  plain  nearly  three  miles  broad,  known  as 
Gennesaret;  on  the  west  there  is  a  recess  in  the  hills  containing  the  town  of 
Tiberias;  on  the  east  are  small  tracts  of  level  ground  before  the  hill  country  is 
reached,  and  on  the  south  the  open  valley  of  the  Jordan  stretches  out  toward  the 
Dead  Sea,  covered  near  the  lake  with  luxuriant  vegetation. 

The  lake  is   from  600  to  700  feet  below  the  Mediterranean  Sea.     It  is  still 


GROUP  SHOWING  COSTUMES   OF  PAIvESTINE   AT   PRESENT   DAY. 

subject  to  sudden  and  violent  storms,  as  in  the  time  when  Christ  and  His  disciples 
rode  upon  its  bosom. 

In  the  lake  there  are  a  number  of  warm  springs,  and  violent  earthquakes  are 
not  infrequent,  as  in  1837,  when  half  of  the  inhabitants  of  Tiberias  perished. 


A  Prophecy  Fulfilled. 

Capernaum,  Bethsaida,  Chorazin — mounds  of  rubbish,  tangles  of  thistles, 
heaps  of  ruins — recall  those  pathetic  words  of  our  Eord:  "Then  began  He  to 
upbraid  the  cities  wherein  most  of  His  mighty  works  were  done  because  they 
repented  not: 


374 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


"Woe  unto  thee,  Choraziu!  Woe  unto  thee,  Bethsaida!  For  if  the  mighty 
works  which  were  done  in  you  had  been  done  in  Tyre  and  Sidon,  they  would 
have  repented  long  ago  in  sackcloth  and  ashes.  But  I  say  unto  you,  it  shall  be 
more  tolerable  for  Tyre  and  Sidon  at  the  day  of  judgment  than  for  you. 

"And  thou,  Capernaum,  which  art  exalted  unto  heaven,  shall   be  brought 

down  to  hell!     For  if  the  might}'  works  which  were  done  in  thee  had  been  done 

in  Sodom,  it  would  have  remained  until  this  day.     But  I  say  unto  you  that  it 

shall  be  more  tolerable  for  the  land  of  Sodom  in  the  day  of  judgment  than  for 

thee." 

A  Hoonlight  Sail. 

Accompanied  by  a  single  friend  and  four  boatmen  I  can  never  forget  the 
eight  hours  spent  on  the  Lake  of  Galilee. 

During  the  afternoon  a  whistling  wind  dotted  the  water  with  white  caps,  but 
as  the  sun  was  setting  behind  the  crimson  curtains  in  the  western  sky,  and  as  the 
full  moon  calmly  looked  into  the  depths  of  the  lake,  a  voice  seemed  to  speak, 
"Peace,  be  still,"  for  suddenly  there  was  a  great  calm. 

The  white  houses  of  Tiberias  were  distinctly  visible  in  the  glowing  moonlight. 
The  sombre  ruins  of  the  cursed  cities  lay  like  black  heaps  upon  the  shores.  The 
hill  platforms  upon  which  the  multitudes  were  miraculously  fed  and  taught  were 
outlined  in  the  distance. 

The  might}'  hills  on  the  eastern  shore  stood  like  giant  sentinels  against  the 
sky,  and  the  placid  moon-kissed  Galilee  seemed  a  fit  pavement  for  the  feet  of  the 
Prince  of  Peace. 

Far  in  the  night  we  passed  into  the  Jordan  at  the  extreme  northern  point  of 
the  lake,  crossed  to  the  eastern  side,  and  after  quite  a  thrilling  experience  with  a 
band  of  Bedouin  robbers,  which  somewhat  disturbed  the  placidity  of  the  occasion, 
we  turned  our  boat  toward  the  tents  on  the  western  shore,  some  miles  away. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 
THE  EYE  OF  THE  EAST. 

'HIIvE  the  ancient  cities  along  the  Nile  are  known  only  by 
the  magnificence  of  their  ruined  temples,  while  Baalbec  and 
Palmyra  have  long  since  passed  away,  while  Babylon  is  a 
heap  in  the  desert  and  Tyre  a  ruin  on  the  shore,  Damascus, 
which  Josephus  declares  was  standing  before  Abraham's  time, 
and  which  is  called  in  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  ' '  the  head 
of  Syria,"  is  to-day,  as  it  has  been  for  thousands  of  years, 
a  mighty  city,  influencing  the  customs  and  trade  of  a  region 
of  hundreds  of  miles  around  it. 

Its  importance  in  the  flourishing  period  of  the  Jewish  monarchy  we  know, 
from  the  garrisons  which  David  placed  here  and  from  the  opposition  it  presented 
to  Solomon.  How  close  its  relations  continued  to  be  with  this  people  we  infer 
from  the  chronicles  of  Jeroboam  and  Ahaz  and  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  and  Amos. 
Its  mercantile  greatness  is  indicated  by  Ezekiel  in  the  remarkable  words  addressed 
to  Tyre:  "Damascus  was  thy  merchant  in  the  multitude  of  the  wares  of  thy 
making  for  the  multitude  of  all  riches,  in  the  wine  of  Helbon  and  white  wool." 
Alexander  the  Great  saw  its  greatness  and  sent  Parmenio  to  take  it  while  he 
was  engaged  in  marching  from  Tarsus  and  Tyre.  Julian,  the  apostate,  describes 
it  as  "the  eye  of  the  East."  Recognized  at  one  time  as  the  metropolis  of  the 
Mohammedan  world,  its  fame  is  mingled  with  the  exploits  of  Saladin  and 
Tamerlane. 

The  tradition  that  the  murder  of  Abel  took  place  here  is  alluded  to  by 
Shakespeare  (I  King  Henry  VI.,  i.  3). 

Winchester.— ^ay ,  stand  thou  back,  I  will  not  budge  a  foot;  ^ 

This  be  Damascus;  be  thou  cursed  Cain 
To  slay  thy  brother  Abel  if  thou  wilt. 

The  Streams  of  Lebanon. 

The  cause  of  its  importance  as  a  city  in  all  the  ages  is  easily  seen  as  you 
approach  it  from  the  south. 

Miles  before  you  see  the  mosques  of  the  modern  city  the  fountains  of  a 
copious  and  perennial  stream  spring  from  among  the  rocks  and  brushwood  at  the 

(375) 


376  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

base  of  the  Anti  Lebanon,  creating  a  wide  area  about  them,  rich  with  prolific 
vegetation.  These  are  the  "streams  of  Lebanon,"  which  are  poetically  spoken 
of  in  the  Songs  of  Solomon,  and  the  "  rivers  of  Damascus,"  which  Naaman,  not 
unnaturally,  preferredto  all  the  "  waters  of  Israel."  This  stream,  with  its  many 
branches,  is  the  inestimable  treasure  of  Damascus. 

While  the  desert  is  a  fortification  round  Damascus,  the  river,  where  the 
habitations  of  men  must  always  have  been  gathered,  as  along  the  Nile,  is  its  life. 

Modern  Damascus. 

The  cit}',  which  is  situated  in  a  wilderness  of  gardens  of  flowers  and  fruits, 
has  rushing  through  its  streets  the  limpid  and  refreshing  current;  nearl}-  every 
dwelling  has  its  fountain,  and  at  night  the  lights  are  seen  flashing  on  the  waters 
that  dash  along  from  their  mountain  home. 

As  3'ou  first  view  the  city  from  one  of  the  overhanging  ridges  3'ou  are 
prepared  to  excuse  the  Mohammedans  for  calling  it  the  earthly  paradise. 

Around  the  marble  minarets,  the  glittering  domes  and  the  white  buildings, 
shining  with  ivory  softness,  a  maze  of  bloom  and  fruitage,  where  olive  and  pome- 
granate, orange  and  apricot,  plum  and  walnut  mingle  their  varied  tints  of  green, 
is  presented  to  the  sight,  in  striking  contrast  to  the  miles  of  barren  desert  over 
which  you  have  just  ridden. 

Damascus  remains  the  same  true  type  of  an  oriental  city.  Caravans  come 
and  go  from  Bagdad  and  Mecca,  as  of  old;  merchants  sit  and  smoke  over  their 
costly  bales  in  dim  bazaars;  drowsy  groups  sip  their  cofiee  in  kiosks  overhanging 
the  river;  the  bread  boy  cries  aloud,  "O  Allah  !  who  sustainest  us,  send  trade;" 
the  drink-seller  as  he  rattles  his  brass  cups  exclaims,  "Drink  and  cheer  thine 
heart,"  and  all  the  brilliant  costumes  of  the  East  mingle  in  the  streets. 

Its  Bazaars  and  Streets. 

Although  Cairo  contains  a  much  larger  population  than  Damascus,  its  bazaars 
are  by  no  means  as  extensive  or  imposing.  These  bazaars  are  in  long  avenues, 
roofed  over,  and  each  is  devoted  to  some  special  trade.  There  we  find  the  silk, 
the  saddler's*  the  tobacco,  the  coppersmith's,  the  bookseller's,  the  shoe  and  many 
other  bazaars,  and  now  and  then  we  come  across  an  "  antique  Damascus  blade  " 
which  was  made  last  3'ear  in  Germany. 

While  passing  through  the  city  on  Friday,  the  great  market  day,  I  was 
attracted  by  Persians  in  gorgeous  silks,  Nubians  in  black  and  white,  Greeks  in 
their  national  costumes,  Jews  with  long  ringlets.  Bedouins,  Druses,  Kurds  and 
Armenians  mingling  together,  and  lines  of  pilgrims  on  their  way  to  Mecca — a 
marvelous  medley'  of  humanitj-,  not  to  be  seen,  perhaps,  elsewhere  on  the  globe. 
The   great   mosque   (there  are  over  two  hundred  smaller    ones)    exhibits  three 


X 

p 
u 

< 
< 


(377) 


378 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


distinct  styles  of  architecture,  marking  three  epochs  in  the  history  of  the  place, 
and  proclaiming  the  three  dynasties  that  have  successively  possessed  it.  In  the 
transept  is  a  chapel  said  to  contain  the  head  of  John  the  Baptist,  which  was  found 
in  the  crj^pt  of  the  church. 

The  "street  called  Straight,"  which  is  interesting  to  all  New  Testament 
readers,  is  about  a  mile  in  length  and  runs  across  the  city  from  west  to  east. 

In  round  numbers  the  population  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand, 
one  hundred  thousand  of  which  are  Moslems.  These  are  notorious  for  their 
fanaticism,  which  has  a  terrible  proof  in  the  massacre  of  July,  i860,  when  six 
thousand  Christians  were  slaughtered  in  the  streets  and  nine  thousand  more  in 

the  district  about  the 
city. 

In  this  butchery 
we  have  a  true  picture 
of  the  "  unspeakable  " 
Turk  when  he  is 
aroused. 

The  churches 
and  convents,  which 
had  been  filled  with 
the  terror-stricken 
Christians,  presented 
piles  of  corpses,  and 
the  thoroughfares 
were  choked  with  the 
slain. 

Through  the  in- 
fluence brought  to 
bear  upon  the  Turkish  government  the  governor  and  three  city  officers  were 
shot,  fifty-six  of  the  citizens  were  hanged,  one  hundred  and  seventeen  others 
received  the  death  penalty,  four  hundred  were  condemned  to  imprisonment  and 
exile  and  the  city  was  made  to  pay  the  sum  of  one  million  dollars. 

The  Unspeakable  Turk. 

Some  refused  at  first  to  believe  that  the  Turks  were  responsible  for  the 
massacre,  but  it  has  been  shown  beyond  a  doubt  that  they  connived  at  it,  they 
instigated  it,  they  ordered  it,  the)'-  shared  in  it.  Their  conduct  north  of  Damascus 
at  present  is  a  repetition  of  the  same  thing. 

Besides  the  biblical  allusions  that  have  been  made  to  Damascus  it  will  be 
remembered   that   Paul  was   converted   on   his    way    here,    and    that    when    the 


WOMAN    GRINDING    FI,OUR   AT   DAMASCUS. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE    OPEN.  379 

governor  sought  to  apprehend  him  he  was  let  down  in  a  basket  through  a  window 
and  made  good  his  escape,  and  that  during  his  residence  here  "he  preached 
Christ  in  the  synagogue,  that  He  is  the  Son  of  God,  and  confounded  the  Jews 
which  dwelt  at  Damascus,  proving  that  this  is  the  ver}-  Christ."  We  are 
tempted  to  think  that  it  would  take  more  than  the  eloquent  voice  of  a  Paul  to 
disturb  the  consummate  indifference  of  the  average  pipe-smoking,  coffee-drinking, 
sleepy-eyed  citizen  of  modern  Damascus. 

The  Ruins  of  Baalbec. 

Standing  among  the  ruins  of  .this  inglorious  city  j-ou  look  upon  the  remains 
of  two  distinct  but  blended  civilizations.  The  popular  natural  religions,  which 
for  centuries  held  Asia  captive,  mingle  the  wrecks  of  their  colossal  architecture 
with  the  exquisite  forms  that  the  artistic  genius  of  Greece  created. 

Camels,  sheep  and  goats  graze  on  the  grass  which  grows  over  the  fallen, 
crumbling  columns  and  capitals,  and  the  opening  spring  casts  fresh,  green  garlands 
over  these  relics  of  the  dead  past. 

Great  columns  lean  heavily  against  tottering  walls,  as  if  determined  to  post- 
pone their  fall  to  the  last  moment,  and  over  the  scene  of  desolation  the  white 
chain  of  the  Lebanon,  capped  b}^  perpetual  snow,  gives  a  chilling  look. 

Sun  Worship  and  Temples. 

Here  is  the  ancient  Heliopolis  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  celebrated  for  its 
sun  worship  in  the  temple  which  was  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world.  Here 
you  ma}'  witness  how  the  pride  and  pomp  of  paganism  arrayed  itself  before  its 
death;  here  you  see  the  ruin  of  an  entire  cit)*,  full  of  disorder,  poetr\-,  grandeur, 
and  as  you  study  some  of  this  enormous  debris  in  detail  5^ou  find  that  nowhere  is 
the  Corinthian  acanthus  carved  with  more  delicacy  than  on  these  gigantic  blocks. 

The  temples  of  Baalbec,  dating  at  least  from  the  reign  of  Antoninus  Pius, 
were  erected  on  the  Acropolis  of  the  city,  which  was  placed  on  an  eminence,  sur- 
rounded with  gigantic  walls,  the  stones  of  which  belonged  to  that  Phoenician 
architecture  which  has  earned  the  name  of  Cyclopean. 

First,  there  was  the  Great  Temple  of  Jupiter,  which  has  preserved  a  large 
part  of  its  portico,  its  ornate  architrave,  its  fluted  columns  and  a  rich  profusion  of 
decoration;  then  there  was  the  Temple  of  the  Sun,  the  ruins  of  which  clearly 
indicate  its  past  grandeur,  and  the  last  was  what  was  known  as  the  Circular 
Temple,  the  only  remains  of  which  are  a  few  highly  decorated  chapels. 

Courts  and  Porticoes. 

Passing  through  a  long  passageway  we  enter  a  court,  seventy  yards  long  by 
about  eighty-five  wide,  which  is  in  the  form  of  a  hexagon,  with  here  and  there 
rectangular  recesses  in  the  wall,  each  with  columns  in  front. 


38o  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

From  this  hexagon  originally  a  handsome  portal  led  into  the  great  court, 
about  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  long  by  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  wide,  in  the 
centre  of  which  stood  the  basilica,  while  around  were  rectangular  recesses,  called 
by  the  Romans  exedrae. 

In  front  of  this  great  court  the  principal  temple  of  Baalbec  stood.  This 
temple  had  columns  running  round  it,  only  six  of  which  are  now  standing.  These 
are  sixty  feet  in  height,  with  Corinthian  capitals  and  bordered  with  a  frieze. 

Sacred  to  Jupiter. 

"When  the  temple  was  in  its  glor}^  there  were  seventeen  columns  on  either 
side  of  the  temple  and  ten  at  either  end,  fifty-four  in  all,  the  building  enclosed  by 
them  being  two  hundred  and  ninety  feet  long  by  one  hundred  and  sixty  broad. 

The  masses  of  broken  columns  and  falling  w^alls  indicate  not  only  the  work 
of  the  "  tooth  of  time,"  but  the  ruthless  ravages  of  the  Arabs,  who  have  destroyed 
priceless  treasures  in  art  in  order  that  they  might  secure  the  iron  clamps  in 
the  columns. 

In  the  grand  portico  of  the  temple  there  is  an  inscription,  which  ma}-  be 
translated  as  follows:  "To  the  great  gods  of  Heliopolis.  For  the  safety- of  the 
Lord  Ant.  Pius  Aug.  and  of  Julia  Aug.,  the  mother  of  our  Lord  of  the  Castra 
(here  it  is  quite  indistinct)  Senate.  A  devoted  (subject)  of  the  sovereigns  (caused) 
the  capitals  of  the  columns  of  Antoninus,  while  in  the  air,  (to  be, )  embossed  with 
gold  at  her  own  expense. ' ' 

Sun's  Trilithon. 

The  second  temple,  or  Temple  of  the  Sun,  stands  on  a  platform  lower  than 
that  of  the  Great  Temple;  nineteen  out  of  the  forty-six  columns,  each  sixty-five 
feet  high,  remain,  and  the  capitals  and  entablatures  of  the  columns  and  the  friezes 
round  them  are  as  exquisitely  executed  as  anything  in  Baalbec. 

The  portal  of  the  temple  claims  one's  special  attention.  The  door-posts  are 
monoliths,  most  richly  ornamented  with  foliage  and  genii;  the  architrave  is  of 
three  stones,  on  the  lower  side  of  which  is  the  figure  of  an  eagle,  the  emblem  of 
the  sun,  and  the  basement,  which  is  one  hundred  by  seventy  feet,  is  ornamented 
most  profusely. 

Built  into  the  outer  wall  are  three  stones,  the  largest  ever  used  in  architecture. 
The  temple  was,  at  one  time,  called  Trilithon,  or  three-stoned,  probably  from  these 
stupendous  blocks.  One  stone  measures  sixty-four  feet  long,  another  sixty-three 
feet  eight  inches,  and  a  third  sixty-three.  Each  is  thirteen  feet  high  and  thirteen 
feet  thick,  and  placed  in  the  wall  at  a  height  of  twenty  feet  above  ground. 

It  is  still  an  unsolved  problem  how  they  were  ever  raised  to  their  present 
position. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


381 


The  Quarries  of  Lebanon. 

At  the  quarries  in  the  Lebanon  mountains,  where  doubtless  these  stones  came 
from,  I  examined  an  unfinished  block  which  is  seventy-one  feet  long  and  nearly 
eighteen  feet  in  thickness.  The  Circular  Temple,  which  is  located  near  to  the 
modern  village,  is  surrounded  by  Corinthian  columns,  is  richly  adorned  by  a  frieze 
of  flowers  and  the  entablature  is  heavily  laden  with  elaborate  decoration. 

As  I  sat  upon  an  ornately  sculptured  parapet  and,  quietly  and  alone,  studied 
this  wilderness  of  magnificent  ruins,  where  were  displayed  Phoenician  glor^^  and 
power,  the  poetry  of  Grecian  art  and  the  pomp  of  Roman  pride,  the  transitory 
character  of  even  the  most  permanent  and  glorious  of  the  material  was  pictured 
before  me  as  never  before. 


ORPHANS   IN    CAMP    ON   A  TRIP   TO   THE  JOKI    \         1 


CHAPTER  XX. 
IN  ASIA  niNOR. 

N  the  Ivcvant,  which  is  chiefly  in  Asia  Minor  and  belongs  to 
Turkey,  there  are  two  cities  which  are  of  special  interest  to  the 
tourist.  The  first  is  Smyrna,  the  capital  of  Anatolia,  the 
second  city  of  Turkey  and  the  great  port  of  Asia  Minor  and 
the  Levant  trade.  As  you  enter  the  bay,  a  noble  inlet,  forty- 
five  by  twenty-two  miles,  the  city  presents  a  most  striking  appearance,  with  its 
two  harbors,  covering  seventy  acres;  its  fine  breakwater,  1125  yards  long;  its 
splendidly  built  quay,  over  two  miles  in  length,  which  cost  $1,500,000,  and  the 
Governor's  palace,  the  barracks,  the  imposing  Vizier  Khan,  the  numerous  mosques, 
the  large  warehouses  and  the  well-built  residences,  holding  a  population  of  270,000, 
the  bright  picture  having  as  its  background  the  green  slopes  of  the  hills. 

Smyrna  is  the  centre  of  the  caravan  trade  in  Asia  Minor;  it  is  the  great 
market  place  for  the  whole  Levant,  and  the  merchants  and  traders  who  are 
found  on  her  streets  represent  every  nation  in  the  Orient. 

Smyrna's  Busy  Scenes. 

From  my  hotel  window,  that  overlooks  the  busy  scenes  on  the  qua}',  by  their 
costumes  I  distinguished  representatives  of  seventeen  different  nationalities. 
Their  facial  expressions  and  features,  their  modes  of  salutation,  their  manner  of 
talking,  walking,  laughing  and  quarreling,  and  their  peculiar  ways  of  attracting 
and  convincing  customers,  were  indeed  a  rich  study  which  was  greatly  enjoyed. 

The  fruit-seller,  the  fish-cryer,  the  trinket  peddler,  the  vegetable  cartman, 
the  man  with  cooling  drinks,  the  flower  and  match  girls,  the  curio  vender  of  the 
Orient  and  the  pug-nosed,  bow-legged  dogs  rub  up  against  one  another  with  a 
degree  of  intimacy  that  is  more  than  touching. 

After  all,  what  is  more  interesting  and  instructive  than  a  quiet  study  of  a 
mass  of  human  beings,  with  a  few  dogs  thrown  in,  provided  you  are  out  of  reach  ? 

There  are  five  or  six  Smyrnas,  one  over  the  other,  and  some  of  the  excava- 
tions that  have  been  made  while  digging  the  foundations  of  houses  and 
cultivating  the  neighboring  fields  go  to  prove  that  this  city,  so  admirably  located, 
was,  in  the  far  past,  a  place  of  great  commercial  and  political  importance. 

It  claims  to  be  the  birthplace  of  Homer,  and  here  the  distinguished  Bishop 
Polycarp  was  martyred  in  the  year  A.  D.  169,  whose  tomb  is  pointed  out. 

(382) 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  383 

The  B^'zantine  Castle  is  on  the  site  of  tne  Acropolis,  on  Mons  Pagus,  and 
has  in  it  many  remains.  Its  corner  nearest  the  city  is  Cyclopean,  and  the  further 
walls  were  built  by  Eysander.     . 

The  way  to  it  leads  past  a  cliff  marked  by  three  streaks  of  shells  like  flints, 
and  the  road  brings  you  past  parts  of  aqueducts  that  were  evidently  built  by  the 
Romans. 

The  antiquities  of  Smyrna  are  scattered,  for  the  most  part,  two  or  three  miles 
apart  on  the  site  of  the  old  Ionian  town,  where  Homer  is  supposed  to  have  been 
born,  up  to  Meles,  in  view  of  Mount  Tmolus. 

It  was  rebuilt  in  627,  B.  C. ,  and  half  ruined  by  Tamerlane  A.  D.  1402. 

The  whole  district  is  very  rich  in  archaic  remains.  From  Sm3ana,  one  of 
the  famous  Seven  Churches,  five  others  are  accessible  by  rail. 

My  chief  concern  in  coming  to  Smyrna  was  to  take  a  trip  from  here  inland  to 
see  the  country  and  people  of  this  part  of  Asia  Minor  and  visit  the  ruins  of  the 
ancient  city  of  Ephesus,  which  are  found  about  one  mile  from  the  modern  village 
of  Ayasoluk,  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Prion. 

The  Ruins  of  Ephesus. 

Ephesus  was  the  old  capital  of  Ionia  or  I^ydia,  birthplace  of  Diana,  a  sacred 
city  of  both  Pagans  and  Christians  and  a  capital  of  the  Saracenic  Sultans. 

It  was  located  in  a  fine  plain  at  the  head  of  Port  Panormus,  on  a  surface 
raised  by  deposits  of  the  Caystrus  or  Cayster,  was  founded  B.  C.  1040,  half 
swallowed  up  by  an  earthquake  about  A.  D.  17,  and  has  been  mostly  in  ruins 
since  the  year  527. 

To  the  Christians  at  this  place  St.  Paul  addressed  his  ' '  Epistle  to  the  Ephes- 
ians,"  and  the  old  fort  is  shown  where  it  is  said  he  was  imprisoned. 

The  ruins,  consisting  chiefly  of  broken  columns,  crumbling  walls  and 
fragments  of  pavements,  are  spread  over  a  wide  district,  and  after  visiting  them 
one  is  prepared  to  give  credence  to  the  supposition  that  before  the  Christian  era 
more  than  a  million  people  inhabited  the  place. 

Pagan  and  Christian  Records. 

You  are  possessed  by  strange  feelings  when  you  attempt  to  realize  that  you 
are  at  the  Cyclopean  city  of  the  Amazons,  the  refuge  of  Latona,  the  home  of 
Apollo  and  Diana,  the  place  of  the  metamorphosis  of  Syrinx  into  a  reed,  the 
lurking  place  of  Pan,  the  asylum  of  Apollo  on  Mount  Soimissus,  the  deathplace  of 
Orion,  the  panionium  under  Mount  Mycale,  the  great  gymnasium,  the  odeum,  the 
aqueduct,  the  magnificent  Ephesus  Theatre,  600  feet  in  length,  and  the  marvelous 
temple  of  Diana  "of  the  Ephesians  " — one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  worlds 
built  552-352  B.  C. 


i3«4j 


WITH    EYES    WIDE    OPEN.  385 

Some  of  the  columns  from  the  temple  are  now  in  the  mosque  of  St.  Sophia, 
at  Constantinople. 

An  English  excavator  in  1876  found  the  remains  twelve  to  twent}'  feet  below 
the  surface  to  correspond  with  Pliny's  account,  the  dimensions  being  418  feet  by 
240  feet,  with  one  hundred  columns,  56  feet  high  and  an  elaborate  cedar  roof. 

Other  names  connected  with  Ephesus  are  Bacchus,  Homer,  Croesus,  Artemisia, 
Queen  of  Caria;  Julian,  the  Emperor,  and  Tamerlane. 

The  famous  Council  of  Ephesus  was  held  here  in  431  A.  D. 

To  the  Bible  student  the  most  interesting  fact  is  that  the  Apostle  Paul  spent 

three  years  here  and  taught  in  the  school  of  Tj^ranus,  the  supposed  ruins  of  which 

are  pointed  out. 

Turkish  Tyranny. 

It  is  impossible  for  the  citizens  of  free  America,  who  have  never  visited  the 
Ottoman  empire,  to  imagine  the  corruption  of  the  Turkish  government.  From 
the  most  subordinate  officer  to  the  Sultan  himself  this  official  rottenness  is 
traceable;  and  how  the  thing  has  held  together  so  long  is  a  wonder  of  wonders. 

As  this  terrible  state  of  affairs  is  supposed  to  be  kept  in  secrecy  from  the 
outside  world,  and  a  man's  head  is  at  stake  if  he  is  caught  speaking  or  writing  on 
the  subject  while  in  these  regions,  I  have  found  no  little  difficulty,  although  I  have 
had  the  aid  of  a  discreet  native  interpreter,  to  reach  the  reliable  facts  that  are  now 
in  my  possession. 

In  the  shop,  on  the  farm  and  within  the  humble  family  circle,  through  my 

assistant,  I  have  interviewed  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  cursed  land,  and 

everywhere  the  same  sad  story  of  governmental  injustice,  dishonesty  and  oppression 

is  heard. 

Official  Rottenness. 

Here  the  seed  of  patriotism  is  crushed,  if  it  ever  exists  at  all;  here  the  young 
Turk,  it  matters  not  how  noble  may  be  his  ambition  in  commercial,  civic  or 
military  life,  has  no  opportunit}'  for  its  expansion;  here  the  farmer  is  yearly  and 
systematically  robbed  b}^  the  merciless  agents  of  the  government  at  Constantinople, 
and  here  an  official  premium  is  put  on  any  and  every  vice  from  which  the  Sultan 
■can  possibly  receive  a  revenue. 

In  the  light  of  these  facts  it  is  not  a  matter  of  surprise  that  every  influence 
from  without  that  has  a  tendency  to  reveal  or  improve  the  condition  of  the  country 
is  indignantly  opposed  by  the  government,  and  that  the  basest  deception  is  perpe- 
trated to  mislead  the  nations  of  the  civilized  world. 

Book  and  Press  Censorship. 

No  publication  is  allowed  in  the  country  that  is  not  first  carefully  examined 
by  agents  of  the  Sultan.     If  a  book  is  written,  it  matters  not  of  what  subject 

25 


386 


AROUND   THE    WORLD 


it  treats,  the  original  manuscript  must  be  sent  to  Constantinople,  and  is  closely 
read  by  a  committee  created  for  the  purpose.  Every  word  that  is  at  all  objection- 
able is  expunged.  The  revised  manuscript  is  sent  back  after  a  copy  is  taken.  At 
the  author's  expense  an  edition  of  only  two  copies  of  the  book  is  first  published, 
one  of  which  is  sent  on  to  be  compared  with  the  copy  which  is  retained,  and  if 
there  is  the  least  variation  the  volume  is  not  allowed  to  see  the  light  of  day. 

Nothing  can  be  published 
which  gives  the  people  infor- 
mation about  the  true  gov- 
ernment of  the  land,  and  no 
word  is  printed  about  the  do- 
ings of  other  nations  which 
would  have  a  tendency  to  give 
rise  to  a  comparison  between 
the  wa}^  of  doing  things  in  the 
Ottoman  empire  and  else- 
where. 

When  the  president  of  the 
French  republic  was  assassi- 
nated the  order  went  out  from 
the  Sultan  that  no  such  words 
as  corresponded  to  "  assassi- 
nate "  or  "murder"  should 
be  used  in  the  report  of  the 
event,  but  it  should  be  circu- 
lated that  the  president  died 
of  a  lingering  disease. 

I  was  in  a  Sj^rian  village 
last  week  when  the  news  of 
the  murder  of  the  Shah  of 
Persia  reached  the  place.  A 
Mohammedan  at  the  head  of 
a  printing  establishment  told 
me  that  the  same  deception 
would  be  perpetrated  by  the  press  of  the  country.  The  Sultan,  knowing  his  own 
unpopularity,  is  not  willing  that  his  people  should  be  educated  in  the  art  of  easily 
getting  rid  of  a  hated  ruler. 

Administrative  System. 

The  large  cities  are  ruled  by  pashas;  the  towns  have  over  them  governors, 
and  the  villages  have  sheiks.  x 


A   TURKISH   PASHA. 


WITH    EYES    WIDE    OPEN.  387 

A  man  receives  and  holds  his  appointment  only  because  he  pays  for  it  more 
money  than  any  one  else  is  willing  or  able  to  pa3\  The  idea  of  efficiency  does  not 
enter  into  the  question  at  all. 

A  few  weeks  ago  a  man  living  near  Damascus  found  out  through  a  spj^  what 
the  governor  of  the  place  was  paying  to  hold  his  office.  He  consulted  with  his 
friends  as  to  how  much  he  could  make  out  of  the  office,  sent  a  higher  offer  to  the 
Sultan  than  the  acting  governor  had  made  and  was  immediateh^  installed. 

This  principle,  or  rather  lack  of  principle,  holds  in  reference  to  every  office 
under  the  government.     Everything  is  for  revenue  only. 

Oppressive  Taxation. 

The  tax  collecting  system  is  one  of  the  most  wretchedly  unjust  in  the  world. 
The  whole  thing  is  farmed  out  to  the  highest  bidder. 

The  one  who  gets  the  position  of  tax  collector  for  a  district  must  necessarily 
pay  the  government  an  exorbitant  price  for  the  privilege;  the  money  is,  in 
nearl}^  every  case,  borrowed  to  send  in  advance  to  Constantinople,  and  now,  in 
order  to  reimburse  himself  and  make  money,  the  collector  goes  to  work  on  the 
long-suffering  citizens,  and  with  the  soldiers  that  are  placed  at  his  disposal  the 
most  cruel  extortion  is  enacted. 

According  to  the  written  law  (which  is  a  snare  and  delusion)  he  is  allowed 
to  collect  one-tenth  of  the  produce  of  a  farm.  On  three  farms  I  was  shown  how 
eighty  per  cent  of  the  whole  crop  went  into  the  pockets  of  the  collectors. 

An  old  man,  who  owns  an  olive  orchard,  told  me  that  he  gave  in  a  true  report 
of  the  3-ield  of  his  place  as  ten  barrels  of  oil.  The  legal  tax  would  have  been  one 
barrel  of  the  stuff",  but  the  collector  reported  the  ^-ield  of  the  orchard  as  eighty 
barrels  of  oil,  taking  one-tenth  of  this,  leaving  two  barrels  for  the  owner  of  the 
orchard. 

This  instance  may  induce  certain  ward  politicians  in  America  to  leave  their 
seemingly  lucrative  business  and  apply  for  a  job  under  the  gracious  Sultan. 

Justice  with  a  Vengeance. 

To  illustrate  how  justice,  so  called,  is  administered,  let  me  give  a  case  in 
point,  the  truth  of  which  is  vouched  for  by  an  American,  who  has  lived  in  this 
country  for  thirty-five  j-ears,  and  who  is  personally  acquainted  with  characters 
involved.  A  wealthy  man  by  the  name  of  Aly  made  accusation  against  his  enemy 
Jacob,  and  swore  in  court  that  he  owed  him  100,000  francs.  For  about  six  p^ce 
each  he  bribed  two  witnesses  to  testifs*  for  him.  ^M 

The  accused  was  brought  before  the  judge,  and  although  he  did  not  Jm|  a 
cent  in  the  world  he  confessed  judgment,  but  declared  that  his  accuser  o^^^^m 
200,000  francs,  and  that  he  was  waiting  patiently  for  a  settlement.        .g^..  j 


C 


< 

i4 


oaH) 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  389 

Being  asked  to  produce  his  witnesses,  lie  started  out  to  secure  them,  when 
Aly  requested  the  judge  to  send  a  guard  along  to  prevent  him  bribing  men  to 
testify  in  his  behalf.     The  chief  of  police  was  sent  with  him. 

Jacob,  after  walking  about  for  some  time,  slipped  a  Turkish  pound  in  the 
chief's  hand;  the  head  of  the  police  took  him  to  his  ofQce,  where  two  witnesses 
were  bribed  for  a  few  pennies;  they  returned  to  court,  and,  after  secret  consulta- 
tion with  the  judge  and  testimony'  of  new-bought  witnesses,  judgment  was  given 
in  favor  of  Jacob,  who  paid  the  100,000  francs  that  he  didn't  owe  to  Aly,  and 
collected  the  200,000  francs  that  Aly  did  not  owe  him. 

This,  verily,  is  justice  with  a  vengeance. 

The  City  of  the  Sultan. 

Constantinople,  or  Stambool,  the  city  of  the  Sultan,  is  located  on  the  western 
shore  of  the  Thracian  Bosphorus,  in  a  situation  equally  remarkable  for  beauty  and 
securit3\ 

A  gently  declining  promontory,  secured  b}'  narrow  seas,  at  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  Europe,  stretches  out  to  meet  the  continent  of  Asia,  from  which  it  is 
separated  by  so  narrow  a  strait,  the  Bosphorus,  that  in  fifteen  minutes  j^ou  can 
row  from  one  continent  to  the  other. 

This  channel,  running  for  about  twenty  miles  from  the  Black  Sea,  looks  like  a 
stately  river  until  it  sweeps  by  the  angle  of  Constantinople  and  enters  the  Sea  of 
Marmora.  But  just  before  it  is  lost  in  that  sea  it  makes  a  deep  elbow  between  the 
triangle  of  Constantinople  proper  and  its  foreign  suburbs  of  Galata  and  Pera, 
thus  forming  the  port  of  the  Golden  Horn. 

At  this  corner  of  Thrace  the  Megarian  leader,  Byzas,  planted  the  city  of 
Bj^zantium  about  660-70  B.  C.  It  was  taken  by  the  Romans  A.  D.  73,  and  here 
Constantine  fixed  the  eastern  seat  of  the  Roman  empire  in  328-30,  calling  it  Con- 
stantinopolis,  the  citj^  of  Constantine,  of  which  the  Orientals  make  Stambool,  from 
the  Greek  es  tan  poll,  or  *  'the  cit)-."  "Room,"  or  Rome,  is  also  a  popular  name 
for  it  to  this  day,  and  the  province  in  which  it  stands  is  Roumeli,  which  name 
appears  in  Roumania. 

Godfrey  de  Bouillon  was  here  in  the  first  crusade — 1096-97 — in  the  reign  of 
Alexius  Commenus.  It  was  taken  by  the  Venetians  and  Franks,  led  by  ' '  Blind 
Old  Dandolo,"  and  held  till  1261,  during  which  period  the  Greek  emperors 
reigned  at  Nicsea  and  Trebizond.  Their  rule  terminated  with  its  capture  by  the 
Turks  in  1453,  under  Mahomet  II.,  after  fifty -three  days'  .siege. 

Stambool,  like  its  prototype,  is  said  to  have  been  built  on  seven  hills,  which 
appear  to  rise  above  one  another  in  beautiful  succession,  and  was  thirteen  miles 
in  circumference.  It  is  of  great  interest  to  study  the  many  decaying  and  neglected 
remains  of  Roman  and  mediaeval  times  which  it  contains. 


390 


AROUND   THE   WORI.D 


Life  and  Scenes. 

m 

The  ridge  of  the  first  hill  is  occupied  by  the  Seraglio,  behind  which  a  little 
on  the  reverse  of  the  hill  the  imposing  dome  of  the  Santa  Sophia  can  be  seen. 
This  was  the  site  of  the  first  city  of  Byzantium. 

Four  of  the  hills  are  covered  with  magnificent  mosques,  whose  domes  are 
strikingly  bold  and  lofty. 

The  city  proper,  occupying  the  triangle  between  the  Golden  Horn  and  the 

Sea  of  Marmora,  is  partly  sur- 
rounded by  the  remains  of 
decaying  walls,  which  are  fast 
disappearing. 

Galata,  founded  by  the 
Genoese  in  1216,  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Golden  Horn,  is 
joined  to  the  main  city  by 
an  iron  bridge,  and  is  the 
chief  business  quarter  for 
European  merchants,  who, 
strangely  enough,  go  under 
the  general  name  of  Franks. 

A  steep  street  leads  up  to 
Pera,  which  stretches  two 
miles  along  a  hill,  and  is  the 
residence  of  diplomatic  corps 
from  the  different  nations  of 
Europe,  where  each  has  a  fine 
palace.  The  tremendous  con- 
flagration of  1870  swept  awa}^  a 
great  part  of  Pera,  destroying 
6000  houses,  including  the 
British  embassy. 


The  Town  of  Scutari. 


TURKISH  WOMAN. 


Scutari  is  a  mile  and  a 
half  across  the  Bosphorus  from  Galata,  and  is  mostly  inhabited  by  Turks,  Greeks 
and  Armenians.  Here  are  located  the  Sultan  Selim  barracks,  used  as  the  English 
military  hospital  during  the  Crimean  war,  and  which  are  specially  noted  as  the 
scene  of  Miss  Nightingale's  heroic  and  memorable  labors.  In  the  adjacent  ceme- 
tery are  buried  8000  English  soldiers,  victims  of  that  terrible  struggle. 


WITH   EYES  WIDE   OPEN. 


391 


From  the  hill  of  Bulgaria,  overlooking  the  column  of  Marochetti  in  the 
■military  cemeterN',  a  splendid  panorama  of  Constantinople  is  had,  taking  in  the 
Black  Sea,  Therapia  and  Buyukdere  on  the  Bosphorus,  the  castles  of  Europe  and 
Asia,  near  the  water,  and  the  Golden  Horn.  On  this  hill,  where  ancient  Chryso- 
polis  was  located,  Constantine  defeated  his  enemy  and  rival,  Licinius,  A.  D.  325, 
and  not  far  from  this  place  of  victory  the  great  conqueror  was  conquered  by  his 
last  enemy. 

On  entering  the  city  the  visitor  is  first  attracted  by  the  wilderness  of  mosques 
and  minarets.     Within  the  walls  there  are  sixteen  imperial  mosques,  150  ordinary 


THE  sultan's    palace   of   DOLMA-BAGTCHE,    CONSTANTINOPLE. 

ones  and  200  mesjids,  the  last  of  which  are  only  distinguished  as  being  places  of 
worship  by  having  little  minarets  or  towers  contiguous  to  them. 


The  Mosque  of  St.  Sophia. 

I  shall  speak  of  onlj-  one  of  these  mosques,  which  is  the  most  wonderful 
building  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  St.  Sophia  was  dedicated  A.  D.  360  to  Agia 
Sophia,  "  Holy  Wisdom,"  b}'  Constantine  II.,  the  son  of  Constantine  the  Great, 
and  was  rebuilt  by  Justinian,  532-48,  in  the  shape  of  a  Greek  cross. 

Among  the  numerous  pillars  brought  from  all  parts  of  the  empire  are  some 
from  Delos  and  Baalbec;  six  of  green  jasper  from  the  Temple  of  Diana  at 
Ephesus,  and  eight  of  porphyry,  which  had  been  placed  by  Aureliau  in  the 
Temple  of  the  Sun  at  Rome  and  were  removed  here  by  Constantine. 


392 


AROUND    THE   WORI.D 


It  is  an  immense  marble  basilica,  270  by  245  feet,  with  sixteen  bronze  gates, 
and  a  stupendous  dome,  115  feet  across,  adorned  v/ith  mosaic  work.      It  is  illumi- 


PEASANT   VII,IvAGE   GIRI.S   OF   ROUMANIA. 


nated  with  globes  of  crj-stal  and  lamps  of  colored  glass  at  the  Ramadan,  and 
ornamented  with  ostrich  eggs  and  flags. 

On  Fridays  you  can  count  the'  worshipers  b}-  the  thousands,  and  from  the 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  393 

great  galleries  you  are  allowed  to  watch  the  congregation  of  believers  at  prayers, 
with  their  faces  turned  toward  Mecca. 

Every  mosque  has,  in  general,  a  large  area  in  front,  surrounded  by  a  lofty 
colonnade  of  marble,  with  gates  of  wrought  brass,  and  in  the  centre  a  fountain  of 
polished  marble. 

Curious  Sepulchral  Chapels. 

Adjoining  each  is  the  sepulchral  chapel  of  its  founder.  Some  of  these  tombs, 
in  which  the  sultans,  viziers  and  other  great  personages  repose,  are  exceedingly 
handsome;  others  in  their  w^orkmanship,  defy  all  laws  of  art  and  display  a 
decided  genius  on  the  part  of  the  builders  for  making  what  is  supposed  to  be  very 
solemn  exceedingly  laughable. 

Looking  through  the  grated  windows  you  see  the  coffins,  surmounted  by 
shawls  and  turbans,  and  slightly  elevated  from  the  floor,  with  lamps  continually 
burning  and  immense  wax  torches,  which  are  lighted  on  particular  occasions. 

The  slender  and  graceful  minarets  form  one  of  the  pleasing  features  in  the 
architecture  of  Constantinople,  and  two,  four  or  even  six  of  these  are  connected 
with  some  of  the  mosques.  Near  the  summit  there  is  a  little  gallery,  from  which, 
at  the  five  appointed  times  in  the  twenty-four  hours,  the  Muezzin  calls  the 
Mohammedans  to  pra3-er. 

A  fountain,  with  its  marble  front,  elaborate  arabesque  ornaments  and  Chinese- 
like roof,  stands  by  every  mosque,  for  before  a  Turk  prostrates  himself  in  prayer 
he  must  perform  hrs  ablutions.  The  supply-  for  these  man}-  fountains  in  the  city 
is  brought  from  artificial  lakes  in  the  forest,  about  twelve  miles  from  the  city,  by 
means  of  subterranean  aqueducts  and  hydraulic  pyramids,  contrived  so  as  to 
overcome  the  inequalities  of  surface. 

The  Bazaars  and  Their  Crowds. 

The  bazaars,  where  you  see  the  people  acting  naturalh%  are  much  more  inter- 
esting than  the  mosques.  The  former  consist  of  loft}^  cloisters  or  corridors,  built 
of  stone  and  lighted  by  domes,  which,  during  the  hot  hours  of  the  daj^  afford  a 
pleasant  retreat. 

The  Grand  Bazaar,  called  Bezesteen,  is  a  hive  of  small  shops  walled  in  with 
thirty-two  gates,  and  here,  as  nowhere  else  in  Constantinople  or  perhaps  in  the 
world  (with  the  exception  of  Cairo),  can  you  see  displayed  the  brilliant,  ever- 
changing  picture  of  oriental  life  to  such  perfection. 

A  world  in  miniature  is  continually  moving  to  and  fro.  In  the  bewildering 
multitude  of  nationalities  you  get  a  glimpse  at  the  Albanian,  with  his  tasseled 
cap,  white,  short  skirts,  flashing  scarf,  buckskin  leggings  and  bright  rosettes  on 
his  toes;  the  swaggering  Turk,  looking  little  like  he  was  a  member  of  a  corrupt 


o 


o 
u 

n 

o 

< 

w 

'S. 

H 

M 


(.•^94) 


WITH   EYES   WIDE    OPEN. 


395 


and  bankrupt  nation,  with  his  turban  and  flowing  robes,  or  puffing  a  cigarette 
under  a  jockey  red  fez  and  over  ill-fitting  European  vest  and  trousers;  comical- 
locking  w'omen,  waddling  along  in  formless  sacks  for  dresses,  their  faces  hidden 
lest  some  one  should  be  stricken  by  their  bashful  loveliness,  and  an  army  of 
soldiers,  beggars,  priests,  patriarchs — each  one  a  drop  in  the  rushing,  rolling, 
rumbling  stream  of  humanit)-. 

It  matters  little  how  interesting  may  be  the  palatial  residences  and  busy 
streets  of  a  great  city,  wdien  the  brain  is  tired  reflecting  upon  the  manners  and 
methods  of  man,  it  is  joN'ful  and  restful  to  hie  away  from  these  scenes,  and  find 
repose  in  some  rural  place,  at  the  foot  of  a  noble  mountain  or  by  the  side  of  a 
leaping,  laughing,  limpid  stream,  or  on  the  banks  of  a  beautiful  ba}-. 

Taking  a  steamer  across  the  Bosphorus  (so  called  after  lo,  who  swam  over  it 
in  the  shape  of  a  heifer),  you  soon  reach  a  prettj-  spot  beyond  a  little  village  on 
the  Asiatic  side  at  the  bend  of  the  w^ater.  Here  you  have  at  once  the  mountain, 
the  brooklet  and  the  bay.  From  the  summit  of  the  Giant's  Hill  there  is  a  strik- 
ing view  of  the  shores  of  several  seas  and  the  nearby  united  lands  of  two  conti- 
nents. 

As  this  picturesque  panorama  spread  before  him  the  poetic  soul  of  Byron 
went  forth  in  the  exclamation:  "  'Tis  a  grand  sight,  from  off  the  Giant's  Grave, 
to  watch  the  progress  of  those  rolling  seas,  between  the  Bosphorus,  as  they  lash 
and  lave  Europe  and  x\sia. ' ' 


ARMENIAN    FUGITIVES    ON    THE    TURKO-PERSIAN    BORDER. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
A   REIGN  OF   TERROR. 

despair  of  being  able  to  give  any  adequate  impression  of  the  ter- 
rible condition  of  affairs  in  Armenia. 

One  must  be  on  Turkish  soil  and  hear  for  himself  the  heart- 
rending tales  of  torture  and  torment  to  have  any  just  conception 
of  the  scenes  that  have  been  enacted,  and  the  fearful  ordeal  through 
which  hundreds  of  thousands  of  Armenians  are  now  passing. 

It  is  now  openly  confessed  by  certain  Mohammedans  that  the  systematic 
massacres  that  went  on  from  village  to  village  was  simply  the  prosecution  of  a  plan 
well  understood  by  the  Turks  to  exterminate  all  native  Christians  in  Armenia,  and 
it  is  generally  believed  that  the  Sultan  ordered  these  massacres,  those  who  led  the 
bloodthirsty  business  being  under  his  appointment. 

I  went  as  near  the  town  of  Oorfa  as  I  was  allowed  to  go,  and  from  the  most 
reliable  sources  I  have  positive  proof  of  Ottoman  persecutions  more  dia- 
bolical than  any  reports  that  have  come  to  us  through  the  American  or  English 

press. 

The  Massacre  at  Oorfa. 

So  far  as  magnitude  is  concerned  Oorfa  heads  the  list  with  fully  3500  victims 
in  the  last  massacre  alone.  The  number  sacrified  in  the  great  church,  where  they 
had  fled  for  safety,  is  now  ascertained  to  be  about  4000,  and  in  the  streets  and 
suburbs  of  the  village  nearly  the  same  number  of  bodies  were  found  cut  and 
mangled  most  terribly. 

It  is  evident  that  if  special  honorable  recognition  by  his  Majesty  the  Imperial 
Sultan  is  to  be  bestowed  upon  those  of  his  loyal  warriors  who  have  carried  out  the 
task  assigned  them  on  the  grandest  and  the  most  satanic  scale,  his  Oorfa  legion 
will  come  in  for  the  highest  awards. 

A  private  letter  from  a  missionary  who  is  at  present  in  Oorfa,  that  is  before 
me  as  I  write,  explains  what  has  hitherto  been  a  mere  conjecture — namely,  as  to 
how  the  Turkish  soldiers  succeeded  in  burning  these  4000  victims  in  the  church. 

This  missionary,  who  has  made  careful  investigation  on  the  spot,  explains 
that  a  gallery  extends  around  three  sides  of  this  church,  and  from  here  a  great 
quantity  of  petroleum  was  poured  upon  these  defenceless  men,  women  and 
children,  who  were  jammed  together  on  the  floor  below. 

(396) 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


397 


Numbers  of  them  had  been  butchered  before  this  was  done,  and  the  fifty  or 
sixt}^  who  escaped  to  the  roof  were  overtaken  and  tossed  into  the  flames. 

It  seems  that  after  the  petroleum  had  been  poured  down  upon  them  from  the 
galleries,  lighted  torches  were  thrown  among  them.  Is  it  possible  to  conceive  of 
anything  more  diabolical  ? 

Among  those  who  thus  perished  were  aged  men  and  women,  mothers  with 
babies  at  their  breasts,  ill  persons  just  taken  from  their  beds  and  hundreds  of  boys 
and  girls. 

The  church  building  where  this  occurred,  which  has  been  used  for  many  years 
as  a  place  of  worship  by  the  Armenians,  has  been  converted  by  these  murderous 


RECENTI.Y    MADE    ARMENIAN    CRAVES    IN   THE    SUBURB    OF   VAN. 

Turks  into  a  Mohammedan   mosque,  where  prayers  are  now  daily  offered  to  the 
prophet  Mahomet. 

The  Victims  at  Biredjik. 

The  massacre  at  Biredjik,  only  a  few  miles  from  Oorfa,  is  hardly  less 
revolting.  The  facts  below  are  given  by  a  Christian  citizen  of  the  place,  whicli 
were  received  by  me  last  night. 

The  Christian  population  of  Biredjik  consisted  of  about  two  hundred  houses. 
For  some  months  the  Christians  had  been  kept  almost  wholly  within  their  houses 
from  fear.     , 


398  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

One  morning,  about  two  hours  after  sunrise,  a  massacre  began  without  any- 
apparent  cause  and  continued  until  far  into  the  night.  The  Turkish  soldiers  and 
Mohammedans  in  the  city  generall}'  participated  in  it. 

At  first  the  principal  object  seemed  to  be  plunder,  but  later  on  the  soldiers 
undertook  the  work  of  systematic  killing,  and  profession  of  Islam  or  death  was 
the  alternative  of  all  those  who  named  the  name  of  Christ. 

Many  of  the  victims  were  dragged  to  the  river  Euphrates,  and  with  stones 
tied  to  them,  were  drowned.  In  some  cases  several  bodies  were  found  tied 
together  and  thus  thrown  into  the  river. 

One  3'oung  man  was  caught,  a  rope  put  around  his  neck,  and  while  he  was 
being  dragged  to  the  Euphrates  he  succeeded  in  freeing  himself  three  times,  but 
finally,  after  being  tortured  in  a  nameless  manner,  he  was  overpowered,  and  amid 
the  shouts  of  the  demons  he  was  tossed  into  his  watery  grave. 

Islam  or  the  Sword. 

Every  house  belonging  to  a  Christian  in  the  village  was  plundered,  except 
two,  which  were  saved  by  Moslem  neighbors,  wdio  claimed  them  as  their  property. 

Christian  girls  were  eagerly  sought  after,  and  much  dispute  and  quarreling 
occurred  in  dividing  them  among  the  captors.  If  they  refused  immediately  to 
marry  5'oung  men  of  the  Mohammedan  faith  they  were  tortured  into  obedience  or 
cast  into  harems. 

There  is  not  a  single  Christian  remaining  in  Biredjik.  Scores  of  men  and 
women  were  brought  forward,  offered  protection  if  they  w^ould  embrace  the  Islam 
religion,  and  those  who  refused  (and  nearly  all  of  them  did  refuse)  were  put  to 
death  after  lingering  persecution. 

As  the  Turks  doubted  the  sincerity  of  the  new  converts  they  arranged  a  new 
massacre,  which  was  only  averted  by  the  new  converts  promising  to  change  the 
Armenian  churches  into  mosques. 

They  are  now  at  work  making  the  required  alterations  in  the  buildings.  The 
Protestant  church  will  be  turned  into  a  Moslem  schoolhouse  if  the  missionaries  do 
not  claim  it  as  Armenian  property. 

The  misery  and  suffering  among  the  plundered  cannot  be  described. 

Lady  Teachers  Captured. 

The  wife  (a  recent  graduate  of  the  American  Girls'  College  at  Marash)  and 
child  of  the  Protestant  preacher  (who  is  imprisoned  at  Oorfa)  and  two  young  lady 
teachers,  with  some  twenty  other  persons,  hid  themselves  in  a  cave,  but  were 
discovered  and  seized  by  the  Turkish  mob.  All  the  men  and  boys  were  killed 
and  the  women  and  children  carried  off  to  the  Moslem  houses. 


WITH   EYES    WIDE   OPEN. 


399 


The  women  were  dragged  by  the  hair  and  badly  beaten,  but  being  unable  to 
compel  them  even  in  this  way  to  go  with  them,  the  Turks  carried  them  on  their 
J)acks. 

They  tried  to  kill  the  babe  of  the  pastor's  wife,  but  she  pressed  it  so  closely 


MOHAMMEDAN    WOMEN. 


to  her  bosom  that  at  last  they  desisted,  as  they  feared  she  would  be  harmed,  and 
she  was  wanted  for  their  harem.  For  more  than  three  weeks  every  effort  was  made, 
including  threats  of  death,  to  make  these  three  women    (the  pastor's  wife  and 


400  AROUND   THE   WORIvD 

the  two  lad}^  teachers  of  the  mission)  to  profess  Islam,  but  they  steadfastl}^ 
refused.  Wedding  preparations  were  being  made  for  these  women,  who  were  to 
be  forced  to  marry  Mohammedans,  when  the  district  governor  received  an  order 
from  Aleppo  commanding  them  to  be  sent,  under  guard,  to  the  missionaries  in 
Aintab,  which  changed  their  fate. 

Distress  and  Work  of  Relief. 

The  news  from  Marash  was  of  the  most  distressing  nature.  Nearly  ten 
thousand  were  receiving  daily  help  from  the  missionaries,  and  there  was  every 
indication  at  that  time  this  number  must  be  greatly  increased  in  the  near  future 
if  the  funds  at  the  disposal  of  the  missionaries  permitted  of  it. 

One  who  was  appointed  to  visit  the  district  and  distribute  funds,  referring  to 
the  condition  of  affairs,  exclaimed:    "  This  region  has  been  one  vast  flaming  hell." 

In  Van  between  15,000  and  20,000  are  dependent  upon  the  relief  work  that  is 
carried  on  through  the  agency  of  the  missionaries. 

A  letter  from  there,  that  is  lying,  before  me,  says:  "  I  am  sure  that  all  who 
have  interested  themselves  in  raising  funds  would  feel  abundantly  repaid  for  their 
trouble  and  self-sacrifice  if  they  could  see  the  misery  their  money  is  relieving. 
We  are  at  present  spending  at  the  rate  of  a  thousand  dollars  per  week,  and  I  am 
confident  that  another  thousand  could  be  spent  in  the  same  way  of  relieving  only 
the  most  distressing  need,  and  that,  too,  in  a  meagre  enough  fashion. 

"  Hundreds  of  refugees  are  living  in  cold,  damp  places  on  earth  floors,  with 
absolutely  no  bedding,  very  little,  in  some  cases,  no  fuel,  and  with  nothing  to  eat 
save  the  dry  bread  we  gave  them, 

"  Since  last  winter  the  bazaars  have  been  closed,  hence  everybody  in  the  city 
is  out  of  employment,  while  life  in  the  villages  is,  for  the  most  part,  well  nigh  or 
absolutely  impossible. ' ' 

The  Turkish  officials  watched  carefully  every  effort  to  distribute  money  and 
provisions  among  these  wretched  victims  of  their  cruelty,  and  they  have  been 
known  repeatedly  to  force  the  widows  and  orphans  of  those  whom  they  murdered 
to  give  up  funds  that  came  to  them  to  provide  against  starvation. 

Who  Are  the  Armenians? 

If  we  accept  Armenian  histories,  the  first  ruler  of  the  Armenians  was  Haik, 
the  son  of  Togarmah,  the  son  of  Gomer,  the  son  of  Japheth,  the  son  of  Noah, 
and  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  they,  even  to  this  day,  call  themselves  Haik, 
their  language  "  Haiaren  "  and  their  country  "  Haiasdan." 

The  word  ' '  Armenian  ' '  was  given  them  by  other  nations  because  of  the 
bravery  of  one  of  their  kings,  Aram,  the  seventh  ruler  from  Haik. 


WITH    EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


401 


Until  A.  D.  1375  they  were  a  proud  and  independent  nation,  but  since  the 
latter  quarter  of  the  fourteenth  century  their  country  has  been  under  the  govern- 
ments of  Russia,  Persia,  and  during  the  most  of  the  time,  under  Turkey. 

During  the  period  from  600  B.  C.  to  nearly  400  A.  D.,  the  time  of  their 
greatest  advancement,  they  showed  remarkable  prowess  in  the  wars  of  the 
Assyrians,  Medes,  Persians,  Greeks  and  Romans. 

From  the  incomplete  government  returns  it  is  estimated  that,  at  present, 
there  are  between  two  and  a  half  and  three  millions  of  Armenians  in  Turkey,  and 
these  are  everywhere  surrounded  by  Turks  and  Kurds,  many  of  whom  are  armed 


ARMENIAN   SCHOOI.. 

by  the  government,  while  the  Armenians  are  forbidden  to  carry  or  possess  arms 
under  the  severest  penalties. 

Their  Religion  and  Clergy. 

In  the  third  century,  under  the  influence  of  Gregory  the  Illuminator,  the 
Armenians  as  a  nation  became  Christian,  and  this  was  the  first  time  in  the  history 
of  the  world  that  Christianity  was  adopted  as  a  national  religion. 

By  the  outsiders  their  church  was  then  called  "Gregorian,"  and  afterward 
the  Gregorians  and  Greeks  worked  in  a  fraternal  spirit  in  the  great  councils  of  the 
church  until  451,  but  at  the  fourth  Ecumenical  Council,  which  met  at  Chalcedon 
26 


402  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

that  year,  the  Gregorian  Church  separated  from  the  Greek  upon  the  Monophysite 
doctrine,  the  former  accepting  and  the  latter  rejecting  it. 

There  are  nine  grades  of  Armenian  clerg\-.  The  spiritual  headisa  Catholicos, 
but  in  addition  to  him  there  is  a  patriarch,  whose  duties  have  largely  to  do  with 
the  political  side  of  the  national  life  as  related  to  the  Ottoman  government. 

In  the  fifth  century  the  Bible  was  translated  into  their  language;  but  the  book 
has  largel}^  been  a  sealed  one  so  far  as  the  people  are  concerned. 

For  more  than  a  thousand  years  the  Armenians  have  been  subject  to  the 
bitterest  persecutions,  and  during  these  centuries  they  have  willingly  chosen 
death,  with  terrible  torture,  rather  than  prove  false  to  their  faith. 

Culture  and  Education. 

As  is  pointed  out  by  a  recent  writer,  and  generally  admitted  to  be  true,  the 
strong  tendency  to  disagree  among  themselves  has  greatly  weakened  their  national 
character,  and  the  wily  Turks  have  repeatedly  taken  advantage  of  their  suspicions 
of  each  other  and  their  internal  rivalries  by  playing  one  party  off  against 
another.  There  can  be  no  question  but  that  the  Armenians  are  the  most  intelligent 
of  all  the  people  of  Eastern  Turkey,  and  in  Western  Turkey  their  only  rivals  are 
the  Greeks.  For  more  than  a  score  of  years  Armenian  young  men  have  attained 
high  scholarship  in  the  universities  of  Europe  and  America,  and  the  eager  desire 
among  the  people  for  a  liberal  education  is  very  marked. 

It  is  worthy  of  note,  especially  in  this  part  of  the  world,  that  this  people  give 
special  encouragement  to  female  education,  and  it  was  my  pleasure  to  address  a 
college  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  Armenian  girls  in  Smyrna,  where  there  was  every 
indication  of  culture  and  refinement. 

Traders  and  Farmers. 

The  Armenian  is  the  trader  and  banker  of  this  part  of  the  world.  The 
Mohammedan  is  no  match  for  him,  and  this  is  where  the  rub  lies. 

An  impartial  judge,  who  is  neither  a  Christian  nor  a  Mohammedan,  informed 
me  in  an  interview  yesterday  that  if  you  put  five  Armenian  shopkeepers  and  ten 
Mohammedan  shopkeepers  on  the  same  street,  in  a  short  while,  provided  both  are 
granted  the  same  privileges,  the  former  will  control  the  whole  business  from  one 
end  of  the  street  to  the  other. 

Although  the  Turkish  government  has  imposed  upon  them  the  most  unjust 
laws  and  excessive  taxes,  they  have  kept  well  to  the  front,  and  until  these  perse- 
cutions and  massacres  commenced  some  of  the  leading  business  operations  of  the 
country  were  in  their  hands. 

They  are  also  the  leading  artisans  and  farmers.  I  have  the  statement  from  a 
reliable  source  that  twenty-five  years  ago  in  certain  large  sections  the  laud  was 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


403 


owned  almost  entirely  by  Moslems,  but  rented  and  farmed  by  the  Armenians,  but 
lack  of  industry  on  the  part  of  the  Mohammedans  have  led  them  to  sell  many  of 
their  large  estates  to  the  Armenians,  many  of  whom  became  proprietor  farmers. 

A  Turkish  governor  is  quoted  as  saying  that  if  the  Armenians  should 
suddenly  emigrate  or  be  expelled  from  Eastern  Turkey  the  Moslem  would 
necessarily   follow  soon,   as   there  was   not   enough   commercial   enterprise   and 

ability  coupled  with  industry 
in  the  Turkish  population  to 
meet  the  absolute  needs  of  the 
people. 

Home  and  Family. 

While  at  one  time  in  their 
history  they  gained  distinc- 
tion as  warriors,  they  seem  at 
present  to  be  domestic  in  their 
thought  and  habits,  and,  ap- 
parently, they  are  possessed 
with  little  military  ambition 
or  desire  to  rule. 

I  have  had  the  privilege 
of  seeing  something  of  their 
home  life,  and  seldom  have  I 
seen  sweeter  pictures  of  do- 
mestic life  than  were  wit- 
nessed in  their  quiet  family 
circles. 

The  home  life  is  patri- 
archal, the  father  ruling   the 

household  as  long  as  he  lives,  and  at  his  death  the  eldest  son  takes  his  place  at 

the  head  of  the  family. 

Children  have  the  highest  respect  for  their  parents,  sons  and  daughters  never 

become  too  old  to  seek  the  counsel  and  obey  the  word  of  fathers  and  mothers,  and 

special  respect  is  given  to  the  aged. 

An  Unmixed  Race. 

In  the  eloquent  words  of  another,  here  we  have  a  race  old  in  national  history 
when  Alexander  invaded  the  East,  and  with  its  star  of  empire  turning  toward 
decline  when  the  Caesars  were  at  the  height  of  their  power;  a  nation  not  mingling 
in  marriage  with  men  and  women  of  another  faith  and  blood,  now  as  pure  in  its 


TURKISH  SOCIETY  WOMAN. 


404  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

descent  from  the  undiscovered  ancestors  of  nearly  three  decades  of  centuries  ago 
as  the  Hebrews  stand  unmixed  with  Gentile  blood;  with  a  language,  a  literature, 
a  national  church  distinctively  its  own,  and  yet  a  nation  without  a  country,  without 
a  government,  without  a  protector  or  friend  in  all  God's  world. 

This  is  not  because  it  has  sinned,  but  because  it  has  been  terribly  sinned 
against;  not  because  of  its  intellectual  or  moral  or  physical  weakness,  but  because 
it  has  little  to  offer  in  return  for  the  service  which  the  common  brotherhood  of  man 
among  nations  should  prompt  the  Christian  nations  of  the  world  to  render. 

In  all  of  her  varied  historj'  I  suppose  that  the  sky  over  the  national  life  of 
Armenia  was  never  as  starless  as  it  is  to-day.  The  great  powers  on  the  European 
continent  turn  deaf  ears  to  her  cries,  some  of  them  apparently  giving  indirect 
endorsement  to  the  rotten  rule,  satanic  cruelty  and  murderous  madness  of  the 
Moslem  Sultan;  and  if  substantial  aid  is  rendered  in  putting  bread  in  the  mouths 
of  these  widowed,  orphaned  and  plundered  thousands,  and  in  creating  a  world- 
wide sentiment  in  their  favor,  it  must  come  from  that  country  which  is  to-day  the 
hope  of  the  world  and  the  inspiration  of  mankind— generous ,  liberty-loving 
America. 

Armenia's    Plight. 

In  view  of  the  widespread  sympathy  that  is  now  being  manifested  in  both 
England  and  America  for  this  practically  enslaved  and  downtrodden  race  in  the 
overwhelming  calamities  that  have  so  recently'  befallen  them,  it  may  be  reasonably 
supposed  that  the  governments  and  peoples  of  these  two  countries  are  inter- 
ested in  the  asking  and  answering  of  the  question,  "  What  is  to  become  of  the 
Armenians  ?  ' ' 

Whether  we  regard  this  question  as  referring  to  a  choice  between  Islam  and 
the  sword  on  the  one  hand,  or  to  a  choice  between  a  continued  struggle  for  exist- 
ence under  Moslem  oppression  and  extortion,  with  the  constant  additional  dread 
of  torture  and  massacre  and  complete  emancipation  in  some  form  or  the  other, 
it  is  a  question  which  forces  itself  upon  the  Christian  world  to-day  for  solution. 
If  we  are  to  judge  by  the  attitude  of  the  great  powers  of  Christendom  toward 
the  Armenians  in  their  indescribable  sufferings  during  the  past  months,  England 
and  America  are  the  only  two  nations  that  choose  to  concern  themselves  with  the 
present  or  ultimate  fate  of  these  people.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  arms  of  the 
Armenians  are  to-day  outstretched  toward  Anglo-Saxon  Christendom  for  help 
and  deliverance. 

Attitude  of   the  Powers. 

To  those  who  know  the  situation  as  it  stands  here  to-day  in  Asiatic  Turkey 
the  future  holds  not  a  single  ray  of  hope  for  any  permanent  betterment  of  condi- 
tion of  the  Armenians  so  long  as  the  Ottoman   empire   holds   together,  and  the 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


405 


apparent  determination  of  the  European  powers  that  it  shall  not  go  to  pieces  so 
long  as  they  can  agree  together  to  bolster  it  up,  leaves  but  little  prospect  of  relief 
from  that  source.  The  utter  inability  of  these  same  powers  to  afford  them  any 
protection  while  they  remain  subjects  of  the  Turkish  government,  and  scattered 
as  they  are  to-day  in  every  corner  of  the  empire,  has  been  so  painfully  demon- 
strated during  the  past  months  that  no  hope  of  help  or  protection  can  ever  be 
reasonably  expected  in   the  future  from  Christian   Europe.      It  has  also  been  just 


A   GROUP   OF   ARMENIAN   ORPHAN   BOYS   OF   C^SAREA   AND   TABAS. 

as  fully  demonstrated  that  some,  at  least,  of  the  European  governments  are  abso- 
lutely determined  that  no  part  or  parcel  of  the  empire  shall  be  assigned  to  them 
where  they  would  enjoy  any  measure  of  independence  or  opportunity  to  work  out 
their  own  legitimate  destiny.  In  a  word,  it  has  now  become  not  only  perfectly 
evident  that  the  Sultan  is  to  be  allowed  to  work  out  his  own  will  toward  his 
Armenian  subjects  with  impunity,  so  far,  at  least,  as  European  interference  is 
concerned,  but  it  is  also  equally  evident  that  it  is  the  will  of  his  Majesty  to  give 


4o6  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

them  over  to  every  form  of  cruel  oppression  and  diabolical  torture  and  outrage 
which  his  fanatical  and  inhuman  followers  may  choose  to  devise  and  inflict  upon 
them.  This,  then,  is  the  answer  to  our  question,  ' '  What  is  to  become  of  the 
Armenians?"  so  long,  at  least,  as  they  remain  the  subjects  of  his  Imperial 
Majesty  Abdul  Hamid  IL  The  histor}^  of  the  past  is  to  be  the  history 
of  the  future.  The  onlj-  possible  hope  of  even  temporary  amelioration  is  that 
which  a  change  of  rulers  might  bring.  But  even  a  change  of  rulers  or  a  change 
to  a  more  responsible  form  of  government  will  not  alter  the  attitude  and  spirit  of 
Islam  toward  a  subject  Christian  race. 

"  Christian  Herald  "  Work. 

The  noble  and  extensive  relief  w^ork  which  has  been  carried  on  with  the  funds- 
sent  from  England  and  America  prevented  much  suffering  and  saved  mau}^  lives. 
Through  the  activity  of  Dr.  Klopsch,  proprietor  of  the  Christian  Herald,  a  great 
Relief  Depot  was  established  at  Van  under  Dr.  Grace  Kimball,  American  Mis- 
sionar}^;  and  there  is  at  present  in  Oorfa  a  large  number  of  Armenian  orphans, 
under  Miss  Corinna  Shattuck,  supported  by  Christian  Herald  contributions.  No 
less  than  $60,000  has  been  raised  by  Dr.  Klopsch  through  his  journal  from  sympa- 
thetic American  readers  for  this  persecuted  people,  which  was  distributed  by 
American  missionaries  at  seventeen  different  stations. 

A  Colonization  Scheme. 

Every  instinct  of  true  manliness  and  Christian  sympathy  rises  against  the 
thought  of  abandoning  the  Armenians  to  the  inevitable  fate  that  awaits  them  as 
subjects  of  the  Turkish  empire.  God  has  other  and  higher  purposes  for  them  to 
serve  as  benefactors  of  our  race,  and  shall  we  not  seek  to  open  to  them  the  oppor- 
tunities which  will  afford  them  deliverance  from  their  present  bondage  and  scope 
for  enlarged  activity  and  usefulness  ? 

The  very  suggestion  of  colonization  raises  at  once  a  number  of  questions  of 
primary  and  essential  significance,  and  among  these:  Colonize  where  ?  Do  they 
wish  to  emigrate  ?  Will  the  Turkish  authorities  permit  them  to  leave  the  country  ? 
Would  such  a  scheme  be  practicable  ?  Do  they  possess  the  qualities  essential  to 
successful  colonization,  such  as  the  power  of  adaptation  to  new  surroundings  and 
conditions  ?  Are  they  desirable  neighbors  ?  etc. ,  etc.  In  the  space  of  the  present 
chapter  it  will  not  be  possible  to  discuss  each  of  these  questions  separately  and  in 
detail.  In  answer  to  the  question,  "Where?"  I  answer  unhesitatingly,  to  the 
United  States  and  Canada.  In  view  of  the  sympathy  shown  by  the  American  and 
English  governments  and  the  generous  response  of  the  people  of  these  two  nations 
to  the  appeals  for  relief,  it  may  be  taken  for  granted  that  every  facility  would  be 
ofifered   for  colonizing  portions  of  the  western  territories  and  provinces  of  the 


WITH    EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  407 

United  States  and  Canada  with  these  people,  and  that  they  would  receive  welcome 
to  our  hospitable  shores. 

' '  Do  they  wish  to  emigrate  ?  ' '  Eet  the  thousands  who  have  been  imprisoned 
for  attempting  to  emigrate  answer  this  question. 

Will  the  Sultan  AUow  It  ? 

"Will  the  Turkish  government  permit  them  to  leave  the  country?" 
Although  the  Turkish  government  has  persisted  in  representing  the  Armenians 
as  the  only  disturbing  element  to  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  the  empire,  and  as 
being  the  constant  objects  of  Turkish  pity,  compassion  and  toleration,  it  is  a 
strange  fact  that  laws  have  been  made  prohibiting  them,  on  pain  of  severe 
penalties,  from  leaving  the  country.  These  laws  for  some  years  past  have  been 
rigorously  enforced,  though  in  spite  of  this  some  have  escaped  from  this  forced 
imprisonment  b}^  bribing  port  ofiicials.  Now,  however,  I  learn  the  government 
has  suddenly  adopted  a  different  policy  and  is  readily  giving  passports  to 
Armenians  wdio  wish  to  emigrate.  This  fact  would  much  facilitate  any  scheme  for 
colonization  which  might  now  be  undertaken.  Even  should  the  government  again 
attempt  to  prevent  the  emigration  of  the  Armenians  surely  even  those  powers 
which  are  most  fearful  of  disturbing  the  status  quo  of  the  ' '  Eastern  Question ' ' 
could  be  trusted  at  least  to  use  their  authority  to  compel  the  Sultan  to  refrain  from 
an  attempt  to  prevent  any  scheme  for  the  emigration  and  colonizing  of  the 
Armenians. 

Would  It  Be  Practicable  ? 

Would  a  scheme  for  colonization  be  practicable  ?  Of  course,  in  the  present 
impoverished  state  of  a  large  portion  of  the  Armenians  in  the  interior  provinces, 
any  scheme  for  successful  colonization  would  require  the  sanction  and  at  least 
partial  support  of  the  American  and  British  governments.  The  people  of  these 
two  countries  could  also  be  trusted  to  respond  promptly  and  generously  to  an 
appeal  to  carry  out  anj^  such  scheme  of  practical  and  permanent  relief  for  those 
they  are  now  supplying  with  dail}^  bread  and  raiment.  Government  grants  of  land 
or  special  facilities  for  easy  purchase  would  of  necessit}'  become  a  factor  in  any 
such  scheme.  A  very  large  proportion,  however,  of  Armenians  would  undertake 
to  emigrate  on  their  own  charges  and  would  at  once  form  a  self-dependent  element 
in  each  colony  or  community.  I  have  every  confidence  in  the  practicability  of 
colonization  if  taken  up  in  an  earnest,  determined  spirit. 

But  it  maybe  asked,  Would  the  Armenians  make  good  colonists  and  are  they 
desirable  neighbors  ?  English  and  American  missionaries  and  others  who  have 
lived  among  the  Armenians  and  who  have  had  the  best  of  facilities  for  studying  their 
national  characteristics  are  accustomed  to  designate  them  the  '  'Anglo-Saxons ' '  or 


4o8 


AROUND   THE   WORLD. 


*' Yankees"  of  the  Orient.  It  is  unquestionable  that  thej^  possess  some  of  the 
characteristics  which  distinguish  the  Anglo-Saxon  race.  They  are  a  hardy, 
energetic,  intelligent  and  progressive  people,  and  with  the  favorable  environment 
of  our  free  Western  institutions  and  civilization,  and  under  the  authority  of 
capable  and  responsible  governments,  they  would  unquestionably  become  an 
important  and  stable  factor  in  our  Western  life  and  progress.  They  are  a  peaceful, 
law-abiding  race,  devoted  to  agricultural  and  commercial  pursuits.      They  possess 

also  the  faculty  of  becoming  skilled 
artisans,  and  are  both  capable  and 
eager  for  intellectual  advancement. 
They  wish  to  live  at  peace  with  their 
neighbors  and  would  most  assuredly 
prove  themselves  not  only  good  neigh- 
bors, but  also  loyal,  devoted  citizens 
of  our  responsible  governments. 

Going  to  Cyprus. 

An  effort  is  now  being  quietly  put 
forward  by  certain  influential  English- 
men to  transport  the  thousands  of 
widows  and  orphans  in  Armenia  to  the 
Island  of  Cyprus,  where  they  would  be 
granted  land  and  helped  to  at  least 
partly  support  themselves.  Difficulties 
that  were  expected  have  arisen,  but 
these  are  supposed  not  to  be  insur- 
mountable. Hundreds  of  men  have 
secretly  escaped  the  country,  but  the 
shores  are  all  patroled;  no  Armenian 
is  allowed  to  go  from  one  village  to 
another  without  giving  a  full  account 
of  his  movements  and  without  secur- 
ing bond  for  his  return  in  a  certain  number  of  days;  every  road  in  Armenia  is 
guarded  by  brutal  Turkish  soldiers,  who  shoot  down  Armenians  on  the  least  pre- 
text; and  we  may  depend  upon  it  that  this  wretched  state  of  affairs  will  continue 
to  exist  until  some  strong  national  voice  is  raised,  and,  if  necessary,  some  strong 
national  arm  is  stretched  forward  in  defence  of  a  down-trodden  race  that  has  on 
its  neck  an  iron  heel  and  over  its  prostrate  body  the  flashing  sword  of  a  heartless 
tyrant. 


AN   ARMENIAN    HOME. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  4.09 

nissions   in   Turkey. 

It  is  generally  thought  in  these  parts  that  the  conduct  of  the  Turkish 
government  in  regard  to  the  American  missionaries  is  an  attempt  to  see  how 
Europe  ^YOuld  regard  any  measure  taken  for  the  expulsion  of  Christian  mission- 
aries generally.     The  result  can  hardly  be  satisfactory  to  the  Turk. 

The  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  are  full}'  alive  to  the  meaning  of  the 
experiment  and  the  activity  of  Monsieur  Cambon  shows  that  France  intends  to 
claim  the  full  rights  of  French  citizens,  whether  clericals  or  not. 

For  many  months  an  attempt  was  made  to  distinguish  in  the  massacres 
between  the  Armenians  of  the  national  church  and  the  Catholic  Armenians,  that 
is,  those  who  are  in  union  with  Rome,  but  this  distinction  could  not  be  observed 
in  Armenia  itself.  A  Moslem  ruffian  at  Trebizond  exclaimed:  "  Are  they  not 
all  Giaours  (infidels)  alike  ?  "     And  no  satisfactory  answer  could  be  given  him. 

Foreign  flission  Work. 

This  attempted  distinction  did  not  deceive  the  foreign  Catholic  missionaries, 
and  their  silence  was  not  to  be  purchased  bj^  securing  the  safety  of  their  own 
flocks.  In  man}-  places  they  have  done  their  best  for  the  Christian  population, 
whether  they  were  in  communion  directly  with  Rome  or  not. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  Christian  population  of  Asia  Minor  and 
Syria  had  sunk  into  a  condition  of  ignorance  which  is  not  remarkable,  in  view  of 
the  repeated  and  periodical  massacres  and  plundering. 

It  is  quite  true  that  the  Mekitarist  congregations  of  Armenians  in  Vienna  and 
Venice,  established  by  men  who  escaped  from  Turkey,  have  accomplished  a  noble 
work,  which  has  called  forth  congratulatory  words  from  both  Mr.  Gladstone  and 
Mr.  Ruskin.  But  it  has  mainly  been  for  the  education  of  Armenian  priests  and 
did  not  affect  the  mass  of  the  laity. 

The  American  Board  of  Missions,  some  fifty  or  sixt}'  years  ago,  set  itself  to 
remove  this  ignorance.  As  America  could  not  possibly  have  any  political  ends 
to  serve  b}'  sending  missionaries  into  the  country,  there  seems  to  have  come  about 
an  understanding  and  arrangement  with  English  and  German  missionary 
societies  by  which  it  was  agreed  that  the  Turkish  mission  field  should  be  left 
almost  exclusively  to  Americans. 

American  Institutions. 

Whatever  might  be  said  of  England,  no  one  would  believe  that  America 
coveted  an  inch  of  Turkish  territor>^  American  missionaries,  as  every  one 
admits,  have  worked  solely  for  philanthropic,  educational  and  religious  ends. 

The  American  missions  have  colleges  at  Kharpoot,  Marsovan,  Beyrout  and 
Aintab.     They    have   splendid    colleges    for   girls    at    Smyrna,  Scutari — on    the 


4IO 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


Bosphorus — and  in  Stambool.  They  have  hospitals  at  Aintab,  Mardin  and 
Csesarea.  The}'  have  boys'  and  girls'  schools  at  such  centres  as  Broussa,  Adana, 
Trebizond,  Sivas,  Mosul,  Van  and  other  places,  and  until  a  few  years  ago 
wherever  an  educated  Armenian  was  met  he  had  in  all  likelihood  been  educated 
at  one  of  these  missionary  schools. 

Robert  College. 

I  spent  a  pleasant  evening  at  Robert  College,  nine  miles  from  Constantinople, 

■on  the  Bosphorus. 

This  college  was  founded  thirty-three  years  ago  by  Mr.  Robert,  a  New  York 

merchant,  and  is  to-day  one 
of  the  greatest  powers  for  good 
in  all  Asia  Minor. 

It  owns  magnificent  prop- 
erty under  imperial  charter; 
has  all  the  equipments  of  a 
well-furnished  American  col- 
lege; has  in  its  classes  350  boys 
and  young  men  from  different 
portions  of  Turkey,  Syria, 
Palestine,  Bulgaria,  Roumelia 
and  Greece,  and  its  distin- 
guished American  president, 
Dr.  Washburn,  and  his  as- 
sistants are  doing  much  for  the 
rising  generation  of  this  part 
of  the  world. 

Some  years  ago  a  good 
deal  of  opposition  was  encoun- 
tered by  the  missionaries,  on 
the  ground  that  their   object 

was  to    establish  rival   churches   and  to  obtain    proselytes  from    the   Armenian 

Church.     Such  opposition  has  long  since  been  overcome  by  the  sturdy  common 

sense  of  the  missionaries. 

Light  for   Asia. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  American  missionaries,  many  of  whom  are  highly 
educated,  are  now  centers  of  light  throughout  Asia  Minor  and  Syria;  their 
influence  would  do  honor  to  any  civilized  government  and  they  are  everywhere 
respected  and  trusted  by  the  population,  Turkish  as  well  as  Christian,  and  by  the 
foreign  consuls  of  every  part  of  Asia. 


DECORATED   BY   THE  SULTAN. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  411 

Many  of  these  are  qualified  medical  men,  and  the  value  of  their  medical 
ser^'ices  meets  with  unbounded  appreciation  in  districts  where  no  doctors  are  to  be 
found. 

Although  they  take  no  part  in  politics,  their  instincts  are,  of  course,  against 
anything  in  the  nature  of  rebellion,  and  so  careful  are  they  not  to  become  com- 
plicated in  the  present  political  condition  of  affairs  that  ISIr.  Greene  had  to  abandon 
all  connection  with  the  mission  board  before  he  published  his  volume  of  evidence 
on  the  Armenian  wrongs. 

Taking  in  consideration  these  facts  it  may  be  asked:  "  Wh}^  should  the 
Turkish  government  wish  to  get  rid  of  missionaries,  Protestant  and  Catholic 
alike?  '" 

No  Conversions  Possible. 

There  is  no  question  of  converting  Mohammedans  to  any  form  of  Christian 
faith,  for  the  penalt}'  of  such  conversion  is  immediate  death,  and  neither  Cath- 
olics nor  Protestants  make  any  efforts  in  this  direction. 

The  reason  must  be  sought  in  another  direction. 

The  influence  of  the  missions  and  missionaries  have  a  tendency  to  elevate 
the  tone  of  morality  among  the  various  Christian  populations,  and  the  education 
they  have  given  has  enabled  thousands  to  become  comparatively  prosperous. 

As  in  the  case  of  Bulgaria,  a  score  of  years  ago,  the  prosperity'  of  the  Chris- 
tian portion  of  the  community  aroused  the  envy  of  those  who  belonged  to  the 
ruling  class  and  creed,  so  instinctively,  the  Turk  recognizes  that  the  education 
given  by  these  foreign  ' '  infidels' '  places  the  Christians  at  an  advantage  in  trade 
and  even  in  agriculture. 

There  are,  indeed,  a  number  of  cases,  both  in  the  provinces  and  in  the  capital, 
where  boys  and  girls  have  secretly  been  sent  b}-  their  Moslem  parents  to  mission 
schools  to  obtain  secular  education,  but  this  is  alwa5's  attended  by  grave  dangers, 
and  just  now  Mohammedan  authorities  are  more  watchful  than  ever. 

It  is  also  felt  and  admitted  b\'  the  agents  of  the  Sultan's  government  that 
these  missions,  with  their  schools  and  colleges,  their  hospitals,  their  medical  men 
and  trained  nurses,  are  the  symbols  of  the  advance  of  a  civilization  along  western 
lines,  and  as  progress  in  this  direction  is  the  sure  death-knell  to  the  corruption 
and  tyranny  of  ^Mohammedanism,  the  thought  of  it  is  the  waving  of  a  blood-red 
flag  before  the  bellowing  Turkish  bull. 

Keeping  in  mind  these  facts  we  can  easily  trace  the  cause  for  the  recent  out- 
break against  Christian  missions. 

Protestant  and  Catholic  missionaries  have  been  largely  instrumental  in  turn- 
ing the  lights  upon  the  sad  events  in  Armenia  during  these  latter  months. 
Newspaper  correspondents  could  be  forbidden  to  travel  in  the  interior;  the  letters 


412 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


of  Armenians  and  other  Turkish  subjects  could  be  ostentatiously  examined  and 
their  writers  imprisoned,  but  these  foreign  missionaries  could  not  be  prevented 
from  telling  the  truth. 

M.  Cambon's  notification  to  the  Grand  Vizier  that  if  any  French  citizens  at 
Sivas  were  injured  he  would  require  the  head  of  the  Vali,  shows  how  far  France 
was  prepared  to  protect  her  missionaries. 


A    XVPICAL   TURKISH   DWEtUNG   OF   THE   POORER    CI,ASS. 

As  these  and  the  American  missionaries  know  more  of  the  Armenian  massa- 
cres than  any  other  bodies  of  persons,  and  as  they  were  active  in  the  distribu- 
tion of  relief  among  the  survivors  of  the  massacres,  there  is  not  a  very  sweet 
taste  in  the  mouth  of  the  man  who  sits  upon  the  Ottoman  throne. 

The  Hassacres  of  the  Armenians. 

Certain  persons  in  Europe  and  America  have  ascribed  the  dreadful  massacres 
which  have  taken  place  in  Asia  Minor  to  sudden  and  spontaneous  outbreaks  of 
Moslem  fanaticism.     The  truth  is  that  th^se  outbursts,  while  sudden,  have  taken 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  413 

place  according  to  a  deliberate  and  preconcerted  plan.  According  to  the  state- 
ments of  many  persons,  French,  English,  Canadian,  American  and  native — 
persons  trustworthy  and  intelligent,  who  were  in  the  places  where  the  massacres 
occurred,  and  some  of  whom  were  witnesses  of  the  horrible  scenes — the  massacres 
were  strictly  limited  with  regard  to  place,  time,  nationality  of  the  victims,  and 
generally  with  regard  to  the  method  of  killing  and  pillaging.  The  following 
facts  have  been  received  from  one  who  does  not  desire  his  name  to  be  used: 

With  Regard  to  Place. 

With  only  a  few  exceptions  of  consequence,  the  massacres  have  been  confined 
to  the  territory  of  the  six  provinces  where  reforms  were  to  be  instituted.  When 
a  band  of  mounted  Kurdish  and  Circassian  raiders,  estimated  at  from  one  to  three 
thousand,  approached  the  boundary  line  between  the  provinces  of  Sivas  and 
Angora,  they  were  met  and  turned  back  by  the  local  authorities  and  certain 
influential  Mussulmans  of  the  latter  province,  who  told  the  raiders  that  they  had 
no  authority  to  pass  beyond  the  province  of  Sivas.  The  only  places  where  out- 
rages occurred  outside  of  the  six  provinces  w^ere,  first,  in  the  flourishing  sea- 
board city  of  Trebizond;  secondly,  in  Marash,  Aintab  and  Oorfa,  and  in  these 
places  Moslem  fanaticism  was  specially  stirred  by  the  success  of  the  Armenian 
mountaineers  of  Zeitun  in  defending  themselves  against  their  oppressors,  and  in 
capturing  a  small  Turkish  garrison;  and,  finally  in  Caesarea;  and  here,  as  in  the 
places  just  mentioned,  the  Moslems  were  excited  by  the  nearness  of  the  scenes  of 
massacre,  and  by  the  reports  of  the  plunder  which  other  Moslems  were  securing. 

With  Regard  to  Time. 

The  massacre  in  Trebizond  occurred  just  before  the  Sultan,  after  months  of 
every  kind  of  opposition,  was  at  last  compelled  by  England,  France  and  Russia  to 
consent  to  the  scheme  of  reforms,  as  if  to  warn  the  powers  of  Europe  that,  in  case 
they  persisted,  the  mine  was  already  laid  for  the  destruction  of  the  Armenians. 
In  fact,  the  massacre  of  the  Armenians  is  Turkey's  real  reply  to  the  demands  of 
Europe.  From  Trebizond  the  wave  of  murder  and  robbery  swept  on  through 
almost  every  city  and  town  and  village  in  the  six  provinces  where  relief  was 
promised  to  the  Armenians.  When  the  news  of  the  first  massacre  reached  Con- 
stantinople, a  high  Turkish  official  remarked  to  one  of  the  Ambassadors  that 
massacre  was  like  the  small-pox — they  must  all  have  it,  but  they  wouldn't  need 
to  have  it  the  second  time;  thus  quietly,  if  not  maliciously,  hinting  at  what  was  to 
be  expected.  Even  the  Sultan,  when  striving  to  avoid  assent  to  the  scheme  of 
reforms,  told  the  Ambassadors,  by  way  of  intimidation,  that  troubles  might  ensue, 
and  the  event  shows  that  he  knew  whereof  he  spoke. 


414 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


The  Nationality  of  the  Victims. 

These  were  almost  exclusively  Armenians.  In  Trebizond  there  is  a  large 
Greek  population,  but  neither  there  nor  elsewhere,  with  possibly  one  or  two 
exceptions,  have  the  Greeks  been  molested.  Special  care  has  also  been  taken  to 
avoid  injury  to  the  subjects  of  foreign  nations,  with  the  idea  of  escaping  foreign. 


AN   ANCIENT   EASTERN   CHURCH,    NOW   DESECRATED. 

complications  and  the  payment  of  indemnities.  In  Marash  three  school  buildings 
belonging  to  the  American  Mission  were  looted  and  one  building  was  burned,  but 
the  houses  and  the  Girls'  College  occupied  by  Americans  were  not  touched.  In 
Karpoot  the  school  buildings  and  houses  belonging  to  the  American  Mission  were 
plundered,  and  eight  buildings  were  burned;  but  none  of  the  Americans  were  hurt, 
though  shots  were  fired  at  two  of  them.  In  this  place  and  in  Marash,  had  the 
fanatical  Moslems  not  been  restrained  by  special  orders,  they  would  probably  have 


WITH  EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  415 

killed  the  Americans  since  they  regarded  the  Americans  in  those  centres  of 
educational  and  religious  work  as  the  chief  agents  in  enlightening  and  elevating 
those  whom  they  wished  to  keep  as  their  docile  and  unambitious  subjects  and  serfs. 

The  Method  of  Killing  and  Pillaging. 

With  slight  exceptions,  the  method  has  been  to  kill  within  a  limited  period 
the  largest  number  of  Armenians— men  of  business  capacity  and  intelligence — 
and  to  beggar  their  families  by  robbing  them,  as  far  as  possible,  of  their  property. 
Hence,  in  almost  every  place,  the  massacres  have  been  perpetrated  during  the 
business  hours,  when  the  Armenians,  in  whose  hands  in  almost  ever>^  plundered 
city  at  least  nine-tenths  of  the  trade  was  concentrated,  were  in  their  shops.  In 
several  places,  where,  on  account  of  fear,  the  Armenians  had  shut  their  shops 
and  stores,  they  were  induced  by  the  assurances  and  promises  of  the  authorities 
to  open  them  just  before  the  massacres  began.  In  almost  every  place  the  Moslems 
made  a  sudden  and  simultaneous  attack  on  the  market-place  just  after  their  noon- 
day prayer,  killing  the  shopkeepers  and  their  clerks  in  their  shops,  or  when  they 
attempted  to  flee,  and  then  plundering  the  shops.  In  Diarbekir,  not  .satisfied  with 
the  killing  and  plundering,  they  also  burned  the  shops;  and  in  Erzroom  and  Sivas, 
where  the  plunderers  were  many  and  the  booty  insufficient,  thejdooted  many  houses. 

In  every  place  the  perpetrators  were  the  resident  Moslem  population,  rein- 
forced in  Baiboot  and  vicinity  by  the  Mohammedan  Lazes  from  the  southeasterl}^ 
section  of  Asia  Minor  bordering  on  the  Black  Sea;  in  the  provinces  of  Erzroom, 
Bitlis,  Diarbekir,  Harpoot  and  Sivas  the  Turks  were  reinforced  by  the  Kurds,  and 
in  the  province  of  Sivas  by  the  Kurds  and  Circassians;  while  in  the  city  of 
Erzroom  the  chief  perpetrators  were  the  Sultan's  soldiers  and  officers,  who  began 
the  dreadful  work  at  the  sound  of  a  bugle,  and  desisted,  for  the  most  part,  when 
the  bugle  signaled  to  them  to  stop.  In  Harpoot,  also,  the  soldiers  took  a  promi- 
nent part,  firing  specially  on  the  buildings  of  the  American  Mission  with  Martini- 
Henry  rifles  and  Krupp  cannon.  A  shell  from  one  of  the  cannon  burst  in  the 
house  of  the  American  missionary.  Dr.  Barnum.  In  most  places  the  killing  was 
by  the  Turks,  while  the  Kurds  and  Circassians  were  intent  on  plunder,  and  gene- 
rally killed  only  to  strike  terror,  or  when  they  met  with  resistance.  The  surprised 
and  unarmed  Armenians  made  little  or  no  resistance,  and  where  some  of  the 
Armenians,  as  at  Diarbekir  and  Gurun,  undertook  to  defend  themselves,  they 
suffered  the  more.  The  killing  was  done  with  guns,  revolvers,  swords,  clubs, 
pick-axes,  and  every  conceivable  weapon,  and  many  of  the  dead  were  horribly 
mangled.  The  dead  were  generally  stripped  and  dragged  to  the  Armenian  ceme- 
teries, where  the  surviving  Armenians  were  compelled  to  bury  them  in  huge 
trenches,  as  in  Erzroom,  where  over  500,  and  in  Sivas,  where  over  800  naked  and 
mutilated  bodies  were  covered  with  earth  in  one  grave. 


4i6 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


The  plundering  was  perpetrated  with  remorseless  cruelty.  The  shops  were 
absolutely  gutted.  In  the  great  city  of  Sivas,  not  a  spool  of  thread  or  yard  of 
cloth  was  left  in  the  market-place.  Even  the  doors  of  some  of  the  plundered 
houses  were  torn  off  and  carried  away.  But  the  refinement  of  cruelty  was  inflicted 
on  the  inhabitants  of  hundreds  of  villages,  upon  whom  the  Kurds  came  down  like 
the  hordes  of  Tamerlane,   and  robbed  the  villagers  of  their  flocks  and  herds. 


-     Gl>l        iH 


ARMENIANS   HEI,D   PRISONERS   AFTER  THE  TREBIZOND  MASSACRE. 

stripped  them  of  their  very  clothing,  and  carried  away  their  bedding,  cooking 
utensils,  and  even  the  little  stores  of  provisions  which  the  poor  villagers  had  with 
infinite  care  and  toil  laid  up  for  the  severities  of  a  rigorous  winter.  Worst  of  all 
is  the  bitter  cry  that  comes  from  every  quarter  that  the  Turks  and  Kurds 
seized  and  carried  off"  hundreds  of  Christian  women  and  girls. 

The  number  killed  in  the  massacre  in  three  months'  time  is  estimated  at  over 
fifty  thousand — almost  entirely   the  well-to-do,   capable,    intelligent  men  of  the 


WITH    EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  417 

Armenian  population  in  the  six  to-be- reformed  provinces.  The  amomit  of  property 
stolen  from  their  prostrate  subjects  b}-  the  Moslems  is  estimated  at  X"  10,000,000. 
(Tlie  latest  estimate  is  much  larger.) 

The  notive  of  the  Turks. 

This  is  apparent  to  the  most  superficial  observ^er.  The  scheme  of  reforms 
devolved  civil  ofl&ce,  judgeships  and  police  participation  on  Mohammedans  and 
non-Mohammedans  in  the  six  provinces,  according  to  the  population  of  each 
element  of  the  locality.  This  was  a  bitter  pill  to  those  Mohammedan  Turks  who 
had  ruled  the  Armenians  with  a  rod  of  iron  for  five  hundred  years.  Hence  the 
resolution  of  the  Turks  was  soon  taken.  It  was  to  diminish  the  number  of  the 
Armenians,  first,  b}'  dealing  a  vital  blow  at  those  most  capable  of  taking  a  part  in 
any  scheme  of  reconstruction;  and,  secondly,  by  leaving  as  many  as  possible  to 
•die  by  starvation,  exposure,  sickness  and  terror  during  the  rigors  of  winter. 
Sureh'  the  arch  fiend  could  not  have  suggested  a  more  terrible  and  effectual 
method  of  crippling  and  ruining  and  terrorizing  the  Armenian  Christians  in  the 
entire  six  provinces  concerned. 

Some  may  wonder  how  the  Turkish  authorities  should  be  so  blind  as  to 
destroy  so  large  a  part  of  their  best  tax-paying  subjects  in  Asia  Minor.  And  it 
is  indeed  a  wonder.  The  explanation  is  that  fanatical  hatred  of  those  whom  they 
had  held  so  long  in  cruel  subjection,  and  who  were,  according  to  the  scheme  of 
reforms,  soon  to  enjoy  some  form  of  equality,  was  stronger  than  self-interest. 
The  thought  of  the  Turk  was  to  make  sure  of  the  country,  and  he  could  conceive 
of  no  other  way  than  by  diminishing  the  number  of  Armenians  and  utterly 
terrorizing  and  impoverishing  the  survivors. 

But  did  not  the  Turks  fear  the  intervention  of  Christian  Europe?  Not  much; 
certainh'  not  enough  to  keep  them  from  carrying  out  an  effective,  albeit  diabolical, 
plan  of  vengeance.  And  they  were  right,  for  did  not  400,000,000  of  Christians 
witness,  last  3'ear,  the  slaughter  in  Sassoon  of  some  thousands  of  Armenians  by 
Turks  and  Kurds  without  extorting  from  the  responsible  Turkish  authorities  the 
punishment  of  a  single  man  engaged  in  the  diabolical  work,  or  even  the  slightest 
indemnity  for  the  utterly  impoverished  survivors?  Nay,  more,  has  not  the  Sultan 
laughed  Europe  to  scorn  by  decorating  Zekki  Pasha,  commander  of  the  troops 
engaged  in  the  carnage,  and  Bahri  Pasha,  the  former  cruel  governor  of  Van? 
And  have  not  the  Kurds  been  again  permitted  to  rob  the  survivors  of  the  Sassoon 
massacre,  and  even  to  destroy  the  little  huts  put  up  by  British  charity  during  the 
past  summer  ? 

riendacity  of  the  Authorities. 

But,  while  the  Turkish  authorities  have  thus  deliberately  aimed  to  extermi- 
iiate,  as  far  as  possible,  the  Armenian  element  in  the  six  provinces,  they   have 
27 


4iS 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


attempted  to  cover  up  their  deeds  by  the  most  colossal  lying  and  misrepresentation. 
By  the  publication  of  mendacious  telegrams  from  provincial  authorities,  they  have 
tried  to  make  Europe  and  America  believe  that  the  Armenians  have  provoked 
these  massacres  by  attacks  on  Moslem  worshipers  during  their  hours  of  prayer, 
and  by  other  like  acts  of  consummate  folly.  It  is  true  that  on  September  30  some 
400  3'oung  Armenians,  contrary  to  the  entreaties  of  the  Armenian  patriarch  and 
the  orders  of  the  police,  attempted  to  take  a  well-worded  petition  to  the  Grand 
Vizier  in  the  main  government  building  in  Stambool,  and  thus  precipitated  a 
conflict;  it  is  also  true  that  the  oppressed  mountaineers  of  Zeitun  captured  a 
small  garrison  of  Turkish  soldiers;  it  is  likewise  true  that  in  various  places  small 


P^ 


■%  V 


WOMEN    AND    CHILDREN    WAITING   THE    DAILY    DISTRIBUTIOIT   OF    FOOD. 

bands  of  Armenians,  driven  to  desperation  by  the  failure  of  Europe  to  secure  the 
fulfillment  of  treaty  stipulations  in  behalf  of  their  people,  have  enraged  the 
Turks  by  revolutionary  attempts,  and  the  Turks  have  retaliated  by  imprisoning, 
torturing  and  killing  hundreds  of  Armenians,  many  of  whom  were  innocent  of 
any  rebellious  acts.  The  universal  testimony  of  impartial  foreign  eye-witnesses 
is  that,  with  the  above  exceptions,  the  Armenians  have  given  no  provocation, 
and  that  almost,  if  not  quite,  all  the  telegrams  of  the  provincial  authorities 
accusing  the  Armenians  of  provoking  the  massacres  are  sheer  fabrications  of 
names  and  dates.  If  the  Armenians  made  attacks,  where  are  the  Turkish  dead  ? 
For  while  the  Armenian  victims  are.uumbered  by  the  thousand,  even  the  authorities 


WITH   EYES   WIDE    OPEN.  419 

have  mentioned  but  a  few  as  slain  among  the  Turks,  and  those  few  were 
killed  in  only  one  or  two  places,  and  in  self-defence,  as  at  Diarbekir.  Is  it  probable 
that  7000  unarmed  and  defenceless  Armenians — sheep  among  wolves — would 
attack  23,000  Kurds  and  Turks  in  the  city  of  Bitlis?  Yet  this  w^as  the  charge  of 
the  Turkish  authorities — a  fitting  device  to  cover  up  their  bloody  work. 

They  Could  Have  Prevented  It. 

It  is  an  utter  mistake  to  suppose,  as  many  Europeans  have  done,  that  the 
local  authorities  in  the  cities  of  Trebizond,  Erzroom,  Erzengan,  Bitlis,  Harpoot, 
Arabkir,  Sivas,  Amasia,  Marsovan,  Marash,  Aintab,  Oorfa  and  Caesarea  could 
not  have  suppressed  the  fanatical  Moslem  mobs  and  restrained  the  Kurds.  The 
fact  is  that  the  authorities  generally  looked  on  while  the  slaughter  and  pillage 
were  going  on  without  raising  a  hand  to  stop  it,  save  in  one  or  two  places;  and 
everywhere  the  authorities  did  intervene  and  stop  the  slaughter  when  the  limited 
period  during  which  the  Moslems  were  allowed  to  kill  and  rob  had  expired.  At 
Marsovan  the  limit  of  time  was  four  hours.  Here,  as  in  almost  every  city,  the 
adult  male  ^Mussulmans  performed  their  noon-day  prayer  in  their  mosques,  asking 
God  to  help  them  in  their  bloody  work,  and  then  rushed  upon  the  Christians. 
Within  less  than  four  hours  the  merciful  Governor  of  Marsovan  interfered  with 
soldiers  and  police,  and  stopped  the  horrid  work ,  but  meanwhile  120  of  the  leading 
Armenian  traders  and  business  men  had  been  killed  and  their  goods  stolen.  In 
several  places  the  slaughter  and  pillage  continued  from  noon  till  sundown  or  later. 
At  Sivas  they  continued  for  a  whole  day,  and  even  afterwards,  for  several  days, 
some  twenty-five  Armenians  a  day  were  killed.  In  every  place,  however,  the 
carnage  was  stopped  as  soon  as  the  authorities  made  an  earnest  effort  to  do  so. 
Had  it  not  been  for  the  intervention  of  the  authorities  after  the  set  time  of  one, 
two  or  three  days,  the  entire  Christian  population  would  have  been  exterminated. 
And  the  bloody  work  w^as  stopped,  not  because  the  Moslems  did  not  desire  to  make 
a  clean  sweep  of  the  Christians  and  pillage  all  their  goods,  but  because  those  who 
inspired  the  slaughter  thought  that  one  or  two  or  three  daj'S  of  killing  was  about, 
as  much  as  Eurojzfe  would  stand  at  one  time. 

The  Reason  for  the  Massacres. 

Xor  let  it  be  .supposed  that  the  Turks  as  such  hate  the  Armenians  as  such. 
The  Armenians  have  been  for  centuries  the  most  submissive  and  profitable  subjects, 
and  the}'  would  .still  be  most  loyal  if,  instead  of  the  increasingly  oppressive  policy 
of  Sultan  Abdul  Hamid,  their  lives  and  honor  and  property  had  been  even 
tolerably  protected.  All  this  many  Turks  know  very  well,  and  regret  the  cruel 
and  utterly  impolitic  course  of  the  present  .sovereign.  The  Turk  as  a  man  has 
many  excellent  qualities;  it  is  his  religion  which,  at  certain  times,  makes  a  devil 


420 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


of  him.  It  is  the  very  essence  of  Mohammedanism  that  the  Giaour  has  no  right 
to  live  save  in  subjection.  While  assured  of  their  power,  the  Turks  treated  the 
Armenians  and  their  other  Christian  subjects,  not  with  equalit}-,  but  with  a  measure 
of  toleration.  It  is  Europe  insisting  on  reforms  for  the  Armenians  that  has  enraged 
the  Turks  against  the  Armenians.  The  Turks  know  that  in  a  fair  and  equal  race 
the  Armenians  wnll  outstrip  them  in  every  department  of  business  and  industry, 
and  they  see  in  any  fair  scheme  of  reform  the  handwriting  on  the  wall  for  them- 
selves. Save  for  this  fear,  the  Turks  would  be  content  to  tax  and  fleece  the 
Armenians  for  an  unlimited  period,  as  they  have  done  for  the  last  500  years.  If 
the  scheme  of  reforms  had  had  in  view  the  sections  of  the  country  where  the 
Greeks  predominate,  the  Turks  would  have  killed  and  robbed  the  Greeks  as 
readily  as  they  have  killed  and  robbed  the  Armenians.  It  is  not  a  race  fight  at  all; 
for  the  Mohammedan  Turks  cordially  affiliate  with  the  Mohammedan  Slavs 
(formerly  Christian)  and  with  Kurds  and  Circassians  and  Lazes.  It  is  a  religious 
contention,  and  the  Mohammedan  Turks  are  resolved  to  keep  their  Christian 
subjects,  of  whatever  nationality,  under  foot;  and  in  case  attempts  of  any  kind 
are  made  to  give  the  Christians  real  equality  and  participation  in  government,  the 
Turks  will  kill  them  one  by  one,  or,  occasionally,  in  open  massacre,  unless  the 
Powers  who  intervene  for  the  relief  of  the  Christians  do  it  with  armed  force. 


A  MICK  I  CAN    MISSION    AT   OCR  FA. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 
AMIDST  CLASSIC  RUINS. 

KNOW  of  no  spot  on  earth  from  which  I  could  more  accurately 
describe  the  ruins  of  the  classic  city  of  ancient  Athens  than  just 
where  I  am  at  this  moment — sitting  on  a  broken,  fallen  column, 
lying  amidst  the  wonders  of  the  Acropolis.  The  general  loca- 
tion of  Athens  reminds  one  very  much  of  the  rugged  beauty 
of  Edinburgh,  Scotland.  Both  are  situated  round  a  rocky  fort- 
ress, which  rises  from  the  street,  both  possess  a  great  hill  dominating  the  town 
from  a  short  distance,  and  Edinburgh  has  its  noble  castle  and  its  Arthur's  Seat, 
corresponding  strikingl}-  to  the  Acropolis  and  Mount  Lycabettus,  here  at  Athens. 
But  here  the  similarit}'  ceases;  in  no  place  in  all  the  world,  perhaps,  can  you 
find  gathered  together  in  the  same  space  so  many  marvels  of  art  as  in  the  circum- 
ference of  two  miles  about  the  place  where  I  am  writing  these  words. 

This  sacred  rock,  first  fortified  and  covered  with  buildings  and  votive 
offerings,  was  captured  by  the  Persians  in  480  B.  C,  and  when  the  victorious 
Athenians  returned  to  their  loved  city  they  found  their  monuments  defaced  and 
their  Acropolis,  the  pride  of  the  artistic  reign  of  Pisistratus,  in  ruins. 

For  coming  generations  of  those  who  admire  the  aesthetic  and  the  beautiful 
this  historic  event  was  a  fortunate  one. 

A  greater  age  supervened.  Athens  was  now  richer,  nobler,  more  gifted  in 
her  sons  than  she  had  ever  been,  and  the  brilliant  victory  of  her  arms  was  followed 
by  a  more  brilliant  age  of  art,  a  generation  of  unparalelled  energy — a  period  of 
rapid  growth  in  design  and  in  the  control  of  materials. 

The  Acropolis. 

As  one  ascends  toward  the  Acropolis  the  great  Propylsea,  or  entrance  portica 
of  the  architect  Muesicles,  first  arrests  attention.  While  the  outer  row  of  pillars 
in  both  directions  are  Doric,  the  richer  Ionic  order  is  emploj^ed  for  the  inner 
supports,  which  are  under  the  marble  roof 

We  can  readily  imagine  that  it  required  no  small  labor  to  quarry  and  bring 
up  to  the  Acropolis  beams  of  marble  twenty-two  feet  long  and  to  set  them  over 
pillars  twenty-five  feet  high. 

There  are  stray  mentions  of  a  windlass  and  once  of  a  pulley  in  Aristophanes 
and  in   Plato,  but,  having  an  unlimited  supply  of  slave  labor,  there  is  evidence 

(421) 


422 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


to  show  that  usually  the  use  of  ropes,  rollers  and  inclined  planes  was  employed, 
which  we  see  in  pictures  of  Egyptian  and  Assyrian  transportation  of  colossal 
statues. 

Standing  in  the  inner  gate  of  the  Propylaea  the  visitor  at  once  is  impressed  by 
the  perfect  features  of  the  ruins. 

Over  his  head  are  the  enormous  architraves  of  the  Propylaea,  which  span  the 
gateway  from  pillar   to  pillar.      To  the  right  is   the  mighty  Parthenon,  so  con- 


PORT   FOR    ATHENS. 

structed  that  sun  and  shade  would  play  upon  it  at  moments  differing  from  the 
rest  and  thus  produce  a  perpetual  variety  of  light. 

The  Parthenon. 

To  the  left,  overlooking  the  town,  is  that  beautifully  decorated  little  Ionic 
temple,  the  Erechtheum,  with  the  graceful  and  stately  caryatids  looking  inward 
and  toward  the  Parthenon. 

In  these  two  buildings,  set  opposite  each  other,  you  have  the  embodiment  of 
majesty  and  grace,  the  ornaments  of  the  Parthenon  being  large  and  massive,  and 
those  of  the  Erechtheum  being  refined  and  delicate. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  sculptured  decorations  on  the  Parthenon. 

Sculptured    Decorations. 

The  triangular  pediments  over  the  east  and  west  fronts  were  each  filled  with 
a  group  of  statues,  larger  than  life  size,  the  one  representing  the  birth  of  Athene 
and  the  other  her  contest  with  Poseidon  for  the  patronage  of  Athens. 


WITH    EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  423 

The  plaques  of  stone  inserted  into  the  frieze  between  the  triglyphs  and  carved 
in  relief  with  a  single  small  group  on  eacli,  form  a  second  kind,  and  a  band  of 
reliefs,  representing  a  great  Panathenic  procession,  runs  all  around  the  external 
wall  at  the  top  of  the  cella,  which  gives  evidence  r>f  the  extraordinary  power  of 
grouping  in  the  designs  of  Phidias. 

The  cella  was  surrounded  by  a  peristyle  with  eight  Doric  columns  on  the 
facade  and  sixteen  on  the  sides. 

The  building  was  227  feet  in  length,  no  feet  in  width,  and  the  surface  upon 
which  it  stood  was  228  feet  long  and  66  feet  high. 

The  Statue  of  Athens. 

The  most  imposing  statue  was  that  of  the  goddess  Minerva,  which  stood 
erect,  covered  with  the  gegis  and  a  long  tunic,  holding  a  lance  in  one  hand  and  a 
shield  in  the  other,  her  helmet  bearing  a  sphinx  and  on  either  side  two  grifhns, 
and  on  her  shield  Phidias  represented  the  battle  of  the  Amazons  and  the  battle  of 
the  gods  and  giants. 

The  statue  was  about  thirtj'-six  feet  in  height. 

The  Parthenon  was  erected  under  Pericles,  and  it  is  said  to  have  cost  2000 
talents,  or  nearly  $25,000,000. 

Classic  Scenes. 

Sloping  up  against  one  side  of  the  Acropolis  are  the  two  famous  theatres — 
that  of  Herodus  Atticus,  of  Hadrians'  time,  and  the  Theatre  of  Dionysus,  where 
the  tragedies  and  comedies  of  the  great  Greek  masters  were  produced. 

On  the  other  side  is  the  Areopagus,  or  Mars'  Hill. 

W'^ithin  sight  of  the  former  are  the  colossal  columns  of  the  Roman- Greek 
Temple  of  Jupiter,  and  overlooked  by  the  latter  is  that  perfect  gem  of  Doric 
grace — the  Temple  of  Theseus. 

The  Areopagus. 

It  was  on  this  Areopagus,  or  Mars'  Hill,  that  the  old  philosophers  of  fashion 
came  in  contact  with  the  burning  eloquence,  the  profound  convictions  and  the 
fier}''  zeal  of  the  Apostle  Paul. 

It  is  now  a  bare,  rocky  knoll,  upon  which  evidences  of  old  cutting  show  that 
it  was  smoothed  for  seats  and,  perhaps,  some  wooden  structure  applied  to  make 
the  rude  stones  more  comfortable. 

The  Theatre  of    Dionysus. 

The  Theatre  of  Dionysus  is  of  great  interest. 

As  the  Greek  religion  was  essentially  a  religion  of  joy,  the  Athenian  state 
thought  it  just  to  apply  the  public  funds  to  give  every  free  citizen  a  day's  wages 


i.424) 


WITH   KYES  WIDE  OPEN.  425 

in  order  that  he  might  be  able  to  enjoy  himself  at  the  drama  produced  as  part  of 
the  festival  of  the  god  Dionysus. 

In  the  Attic  tragic  and  comic  dramas  were  combined  moral  improvement, 
political  instruction  and  religious  enjoyment,  which  we  cannot  fully  appreciate 
unless  we  make  a  careful  study  of  old  Greek  life. 

This  theatre,  dedicated  to  Dionysus,  was  open  to  the  weather,  contained  an 
immense  orchestra,  and,  according  to  recent  measurements,  fifteen  thousand 
persons  could  have  found  room  at  a  performance. 

Dramatic  Art, 

The  masterpieces  composed  by  ^schylus,  Sophocles  and  Euripides  in  honor 
of  the  gods  and  for  the  benefit  of  the  imperial  democracy  of  Athens,  did  not  set 
forth  before  the  public  vulgar,  everyday  griefs  or  misfortunes,  as  are  represented 
on  the  modern  stage,  but  dealt  wath  legendary  heroes,  the  triumph  of  virtue  and 
greatness  over  cruelty  and  vice,  and  the  victory  of  human  prowess  over  the  reign 
of  tyranny. 

One  of  the  famous  dramas  of  Sophocles  (CEdipus  Rex  863,899)  contains  this 
inspiring  truth:  "  May  it  be  my  lot  to  observe  strict  holiness  in  every  word  and 
deed — holiness  whose  august  laws  are  proclaimed  from  their  birthplace  far  above 
the  earth,  for  Heaven  alone,  and  no  mortal  race  of  man  hath  begotten  them,  nor 
will  oblivion  ever  lull  them  to  sleep.  Great  is  the  Divine  Spirit  in  them  and  of 
eternal  youth." 

Its  Religious  Bearing. 

I  suppose  that  every  intelligent  man  must  conclude  that  it  was  only  with  the 
rise  of  sestheticism  that  religion  ever  became  a  doctrine  of  sadness  and  fear,  robbing 
the  wine-cup  of  life  of  its  sweetness  and  sparkling  beauty. 

In  the  fifty  years  between  the  end  of  the  Persian  and  the  commencement  of 
the  Peloponnesian  wars  Athenian  genius,  both  political  and  artistic,  reached  its 
most  perfect  development. 

'Tis  true  that  the  Hermes  of  Praxiteles,  the  gem  of  the  Olympian  excava- 
tions, is  of  its  kind  unique,  and  beyond  compare,  but,  with  few  brilliant  excep- 
tions, the  middle  of  the  fifth  century  B.  C.  witnessed  the  climax  in  sculpture, 
architecture  and  poetr)^,  if  not  in  painting,  instrumental  music  and  eloquence. 

The  Decline  of  Hellas. 

This  supremacy  excited  jealousy  and  led  to  tyrannical  rule,  and  after  the 
fourth  century  B.  C,  which  produced  Plato  and  Demosthenes  and  Apelles,  the 
chief  glory  departed  from  Athens  to  settle  in  Alexandria,  Antioch,  Pergamum 
and  Rhodes.  li 


426 


AROUND  THE   WORLD 


After  the  days  of  Alexander  the  once  glorious  Athens  fell  under  the  senti- 
mental favor  of  the  Romans,  and  their  touch  is  traceable  in  the  ruins  that  are 
crumbling  about  me. 

The  last  struggle  for  old  Greek  independence  was  fought  before  Corinth,  a 
short  distance  from  Athens,  and  the  burning  of  that  splendid  city  in  146  B.  C.  by 
the  Roman  Mummius  marked  a  great  epoch  in  history. 

The  Epistles  of  St.  Paul  to  the  Corinthians  give  us  glimpses  of  the  customs 
of  this  collection  of  mercantile  people  under  the  favor  of  Roman  influences. 


ATHENIAN    EXCAVATIONS. 

Nothing  of  the  great  Corinth  remains  except  the  noble  Doric  pillars  of  one 
old  temple,  which  points  to  the  seventh  century  before  Christ,  and  which,  if  they 
had  tongues,  could  doubtless  convince  us  that  the  facts  of  history  are  more 
thrilling  than  the  fictions  of  the  wildest  imagination. 

About  Ancient  Troy. 

I  suppose  that  it  will  not  be  disputed  that  Dr.  Schliemann,  by  his  excavations 
in  this  part  of  the  world,  proved  himself  to  be  the  most  intelligent,  enterprising 
and  indefatigable  explorer  of  modern  times. 

His  death  was  a  greater  calamit}^  than  would  have  been  the  death  of  any 
crowned  head  on  am-  throne  on  earth.  He  was  taken  away  while  in  the  midst  of 
the  exploration  of  fields  that  are  rich  in  the  treasures  of  the  past,  and  while  he 


WITH  EYES  WIDE  OPEN.  427 

left  some   noble   followers,    it   is   quite   doubtful   if   any   of  them   will  equal  the 
enthusiastic  pioneer  in  their  labors. 

In  coming  to  Athens,  where  is  located  his  palatial  home,  I  hoped  to  have 
personal  interviews  with  members  of  his  family  and  receive  much  information 
about  his  life  work.     I  have  been  greatly  favored  in  these  respects. 

riadame  Schliemann. 

Through  the  kindness  of  the  talented  artist,  Mr.  Gifford  Dyer,  who  is 
doing  excellent  work  in  Athens,  I  was  presented  to  Madame  Schliemann, 
and  after  hearing  her  talk  of  her  husband's  labors  and  listening  to  her  lucid 
explanations  of  the  "finds"  in  the  museum  of  her  home,  one  can  appreciate 
the  remark  of  an  admirer  of  hers  who  said  to  me  that  the  Doctor  could  never 
have  accomplished  his  success  had  it  not  been  for  the  warm  sympathy  of  his 
intelligent  wife. 

While  a  widower  the  report  is  that  the  learned  gentleman  declared  that  he 
would  never  marr}-  until  he  found  a  woman  who  could  recite  from  memory  all  of 
Homer's  poems.  The  condition  was  met  in  the  cultured  Grecian  woman  who 
became  his  inspiration. 

The  lovers  of  the  Iliad  and  the  Odj'ssey  will  agree,  perhaps,  that  Dr. 
Schliemann  did  nothing  by  his  excavation  that  merits  to  a  greater  degree  the 
gratitude  of  the  world  than  his  successful  efforts  in  throwing  light  on  the  question 
of  Homer's  place  in  histor}-,  and  his  discovery  of  what  is,  beyond  all  reasonable 
doubt,  the  location  of  ancient  Troy. 

The  Explorer's  Discoveries. 

Professor  Gilder.sleeve,  of  Johns  Hopkins  University,  and  Professor  Wheeler, 
of  Cornell  Universit}-,  who  are  at  present  in  Athens,  visited  the  place  of  these 
excavations,  and  both  regard  the  conclusions  reached  as  pre-eminently  satis- 
factor}'. 

These  excavations  have  undoubtedlj^  contributed  much  toward  clearing  up  a 
hitherto  very  mudd)^  subject,  and  of  linking  the  Homeric  poems  with  the  general 
history  of  the  world. 

Before  Dr.  Schliemann's  explorations  were  rewarded  with  success  man}-  believed 
that  the  city  w^hich  played  such  a  thrilling  part  in  the  poems  of  Homer  existed 
only  in  the  poet's  imagination;  but  now  a  real  Troy,  for  the  first  time  with 
marked  notes  of  probability,  is  presented  to  our  view. 

It  is  interesting,  if  not  positively  conclusive,  to  notice  the  .striking  comparison 
between  the  testimony  of  the  poems  and  the  testimony  given  in  through  these 
excavations. 


o 

3< 


Z 

o 

> 

<: 
•J 


•r. 
Z 
Z 

■< 

B 


'J 
■r. 


(428) 


WITH   EYES   WIDE    OPEN. 


429 


Historic  Troy. 

While  Ave  cannot  say,  nor  does  any  one  contend,  that  the}'  definitely  fix  for 
the  Trojan  war  a  place  in  chronolog}^  yet  the  relation  between  the  excavations 
and  the  Homeric  text  bears  a  correspondence  that  is  so  close  as  to  be  most 
remarkable,  to  say  the  least. 

Since  the  death  of  Dr.  Schliemann  this  work  has  been  ably  prosecuted  by 
several  distinguished  gentlemen  with  increasingly  gratifying  results.  The  excava- 
tions bring  before  us  the  remains  of  a  large  city,  which  point  to  the  days  when 
there  were  great  builders  in  prehistoric  times. 


HISTORIC  trov. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Homeric  poems  represent  the  walls  of  Troy  as 
the  mighty  work  of  Poseidon,  and  thus,  by  means  of  the  pickaxe  of  the  modern 
excavator,  we  are  brought  in  relation  to  a  race  of  people  which  has  left  many 
traces  of  its  work  along  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea. 


The  Excavations. 


In  these  excavations  we  have  presented  to  us  the  fact  that  the  inhabitants  of 
this  old,  but  new-found  city,  used  copper  as  the  staple  material  of  the  implements. 


430 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


utensils  and  of  the  weapons  of  war,  generally,  when  any  metal  was  brought  in 
service,  and  in  this  respect  again  we  have  a  correspondence  with  certain 
■descriptions  by  Homer.     But  there  is  an  apparent  exception  to  this. 

Several  large  battle-axes  have  been  found,  and  by  means  of  chemical  analysis 
these  have  been  determined  to  be  bronze.  These  battle-axes  were  found  with  a 
mass  of  very  precious  objects,  and  the  supposition  is  that  they  were  possessed  by 
the  royal  family  or  by  the  wealthy. 

We  know  that  Homer  speaks  of  tin  as  a  metal  of  high  value  and  rarit3^  and 

consequently  the  kiianos,  or  bronze,  of 
which  he  writes,  was  even  more  costly, 
the  use  of  which  was  confined  to  the 
wealthier  classes. 

Homer's  Testimony. 

The  brilliant  passage  in  the  poems 
which  describes  the  twined  or  plaited 
fillet  of  gold  which  formed  a  part  of 
the  head-dress  of  Andromache,  and 
which  was  torn  off  in  agony  of  grief 
on  Hector's  death,  is  strikingly  illus- 
trated bj'  two  exquisite  head-dresses 
or  ornaments  of  pure  gold  which  the 
excavations  have  brought  to  light. 

The  presumption  is,  and  it  does 
not  seem  to  be  unreasonable,  that 
these  are  the  ornaments  worn  by  An- 
dromache, which  the  Iliad  testifies  to 
have  been  of  great  significance,  and 
which  were  carefully  put  away  in  an 
eifort  to  save  them  on  account  of  their 
importance. 

Dr.  Schliemann  was  congratulated  on  another  "find,"  which  strengthens 
the  relation  between  the  poems  and  the  excavations.  Six  oblong  plates  of  silver, 
weighing  from  171  up  to  190  grammes,  or  about  five  ounces  each,  were  found 
among  certain  treasures,  and  experts  seem  to  agree  that  these  are  the  talanta  of 
Homer,  which  belong  to  an  epoch  when  the  use  of  gold  and  silver  was  unknown 
in  the  smaller  transactions  of  exchange. 

The  poem  agrees  with  the  conclusions  thus  reached,  as  for  instance  the 
descriptions  of  the  foe  presented  to  the  successful  judge  and  the  fourth  prize 
awarded  in  the  chariot  race  (Iliad  xviii,  507;  xxiii,  269). 


A    CLASSIC   HEAD,    ATHENS. 


WITH  EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


431 


Art  of  Writing. 

With  respect  to  writing,  these  explorations  show  that,  in  this  city  and  time, 
it  was  not  in  use  for  ordinary  purposes,  and  was  the  rare  and  recondite  posses^^ion 
of  comparative!}'  a  ver}-  few.  This  fact  bears  a  marked  parallel  to  the  position  of 
writing  in  the  poems  of  Homer,  from  which  we  infer  that  it  was  nearly  an 
unknown  art  among  the  mass  of  the 
people. 

A  pleasant  time  was  spent  in  the 
National  Museum,  where  Dr.  Schlie- 
mann  generously  deposited  most  of 
the  results  of  his  labors.  What 
glories  of  art  crowned  the  fourth  and 
fifth  centuries  B.  C.  of  Athenian  his- 
tory i 

The  American  Athletes. 

The  city  is  still  talking  of  the  fine 
impression  made  by  the  American 
athletes  during  the  late  Oljmipic  games. 
Beside  carrjdng  off  some  of  the  hand- 
some prizes,  their  striking  appearance 
and  their  gentlemanly  conduct  elicited 
universal  praise. 

An  enthusiastic  Grecian  living  in 
Alexandria  has  just  given  $50,000  for 
the  restoration  of  the  great  Stadium, 
and  a  bill  is  to  be  presented  in  the 
Parliament  of  Greece  providing  for 
the  exhibition  of  these  games  every 
four  years.  The  next  Olympic  games 
will  be  held  at  Paris  in  1900.  Speaking  of  this  Parliament  reminds  me  of  the 
parliamentary  election  of  the  new  Athenian  member  that  took  place  Sunday 
afternoon.  The  streets  were  full  of  shouting  men  and  decorated  carriages,  the 
four  candidates  were  borne  through  the  city  in  grand  style  and  the  ballots  were 
all  deposited  in  boxes  set  up  before  the  altars  in  the  different  cathedrals.  How 
is  this  for  church  and  state  ? 


BELLE   OF   ATHENS. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


A  GEn  OF  THE  SEAS. 

jT  was  the  French  novelist,  Paul  Bourget,  who  exclaimed  as  his 
steamer  was  approaching  the  picturesque  island  of  Corfu:  "  It 
is  so  lovely  that  one  wants  to  take  it  in  one's  arms;  "  and  the 
great  Bonaparte,  as  he  looked  upon  the  old  town,  with  its  mas- 
sive stone  houses  of  creamj-  color,  built  upon  the  irregular 
slopes  of  the  hills,  said  to  his  companion  on  the  deck  of  the 
ship:   "  Here  is  the  most  beautiful  situation  in  the  world." 

As  we  came  in  sight  of  this  gem  of  the  seas,  the  clearness 
of  the  atmosphere,  the  deep  blue  of  the  sky,  the  play  of  colors  upon  the  moun- 
tainous background  of  the  old-fashioned  tower,  and  the  varied  tint  of  the  sur- 
rounding sea,  all  contributed  to  make  the  picture  perfect  beyond  description. 

We  may  well  suppose  that  contending  powers  fought  fiercel}'-  during  all  the 
ages  for  the  possession  of  this  little  paradise. 

Under  the  Maltese  Cross. 

Corinthians,  Athenians,  Spartans,  Macedonians,  Romans,  Frenchmen  and 
Englishmen  have,  in  turn,  planted  their  standards  here,  and  now  the  flag  that 
bears  the  Maltese  cross  floats  from  the  great  fortress  that  proudly  dominates  the 
island. 

Although  for  j-ears  it  was  under  the  friendly  protectorate  of  Great  Britain 
this  was  never  quite  satisfactory  to  the  Corfiotes,  and  when  the  chance  was  given 
them,  with  enthusiasm  they  voted,  "The  single  and  unanimous  will  of  the 
Ionian  people  has  been  and  is  for  their  reunion  with  the  Kingdom  of  Greece." 

As  this  was  more  than  a  gentle  hint,  it  was  in  1864  that  England  gracefully 
withdrew,  and  since  that  time  Corfu  and  her  sister  islands  have  formed  an 
important  part  of  the  Hellenic  kingdom. 


The  King  of  Greece. 

Here,  as  everywhere  among  the  Hellenes,  we  found  that  the  King  of  Greece 
is  very  popular,  and  his  democratic  manners  make  him  the  idol  of  the  common 
people. 

(432) 


WITH   EYES   WIDE    OPEN. 


433 


As  will  be  remembered,  he  was  Prince  William,  of  Denmark,  the  brother 
of  the  Czarina  of  Russia  and  of  the  Princess  of  Wales,  and  after  his  election  by 
the  National  Assembly,  in  1863,  he  took  the  name  of  George. 

Before  his  election  was  finallj^  announced  votes  were  cast  for  Prince  Albert  of 
England,  the  Duke  of  Edinburg,  Prince  Jerome  Napoleon,  the  Prince  Imperial, 
and  some  in  the  assembly  enthusiast- 
icall}''  advocated  a  republican  form  of 
government,  but  all  at  last  united  on 
the  young  prince  from  Denmark,  who 
was  as  little  of  an  aristocrat  as  could 
be  found  in  all  Europe. 

Indeed,  Greece  is  more  of  a  re- 
public, perhaps,  than  any  other  country 
with  a  crowned  head  at  its  helm. 
Suffrage  is  universal;  hereditary  titles 
are  not  known;  there  are  no  entailed 
estates;  the  press  is  absolutely  free, 
and  the  advantages  of  education  are 
enjoyed  by  all  classes. 

The  people  are  passionately  patri- 
otic, and  they  seem  to  be  intensely 
alive  to  everything  that  pertains  to 
the  welfare  of  their  loved  land. 

The  City  of  Corfu. 

Our  ship  had  hardly  dropped  an- 
chor, a  few  hundred  yards  from  the 
esplanade  of  Corfu,  when  a  score  of 
boatmen  were  clamoring  for  our  pat- 
ronage, and,  accepting  the  services  of 
an  old  Corfiote,  whose  English  and 
French  were  as  dilapidated  as  were 
his  garments  and  craft,  we  were  soon 
on  the  streets  of  the  city,  whose  pop- 
ulation of  about  thirty  thousand  is 
composed,  besides  the  natives,  of  Dal- 
matians, Maltese,  Levantines  and  He- 
brews. A  strange  fact  came  to  my  knowledge  while  gathering  data  about  the 
island  and  its  people.  The  heirs  of  a  certain  George  Colochieretry  have  been 
maintained  in  luxury  for  many  years  by  means  of  the  embalmed  body  of  a  saint  by 

the  nameof  Spiridion,  who  was  martyred  fifteen  hundred  years  ago. 
28 


A   MODERN   GREEK    MAID. 


434 


AROUND   THE    WORLD 


St.  Spiro's  Body. 

The  story  goes  that  he  was  persecuted  under  Diocletian.  His  embalmed  body- 
was  taken  to  Constantinople,  and  in  the  latter  half  of  the  fifteenth  century 
Colochieretr}^  at  his  own  expense,  brought  it  to  Corfu,  where  it  reposes  in  a  silver 
coffin,  lit  by  hanging  lamps,  under  the  dome  of  the  Church  of  St.  Spiro. 

Persons  are   seen   in   great    numbers    pressing  into  the    church    on    certain 

occasions,  where  they  lay  their 
gifts  upon  and  kneel  before 
the  sarcophagus  of  the  sainted 
dead. 

Every  four  months  the 
body  is  lifted  from  the  coffin 
and  borne  up  and  down  the 
streets,  followed  bj^  the  Greek 
clergy  and  the  officials  of  the 
town,  and,  during  these  per- 
formances, the  ignorant  masses 
of  the  people  bring  forth  their 
sick  and  lay  them,  with  gifts, 
where  the  shadow  of  the  saint 
can  pass  over  them. 

If  the  heirs  of  George 
Colochieretr}^,  who  inherited 
this  remarkable  piece  of  prop- 
erty, were  inspired  by  the  en- 
terprising spirit  of  certain 
Americans,  a  stock  company 
would  be  formed  without  de- 
la)',  and  live  stock  would  be 
issued  upon  this  corpse  of  fif- 
teen hundred  5'ears. 
The  island  contains  many  antiquities  of  great  interest. 

Fifty  years  ago,  when  one  of  the  old  forts  was  demolished,  an  ancient  Greek 
cemetery  was  uncovered,  and  among  the  graves  was  found  the  tomb  of  Menekrates, 
which  bears  a  metrical  inscription  in  Greek,  and  which  makes  the  statement  that 
he  lost  his  life  accidentall}'  by  drowning. 

This  inscription  was  carved  upon  this  stone  two  thousand  five  hundred  years 
ago,  before  the  battles  of  Salamis  and  Marathon  were  fought,  and  the  writing  is 
still  perfectly  legible. 

Here  on  Corfu  one  recalls  the  Odyssey  over  and  over  again. 


A   MODERN   GREEK. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


435 


Naiisicaa  comes  to  mind,  for  Corfu  is  the  Scheria  of  Homer's  poem,  the  home 
■of  King  Alcinous. 

Not  far  from  where  we  stand  we  can  see  the  blue  waters  of  a  deep  bay  which 
receives  a  stream  upon  whose  bank  Ulysses  first  looked  upon  the  charming 
maiden,  "  where  were  the  pools  unfailing,  and  clear  and  abundant  the  water." 


Classic  Isles. 

Out    in    the    sparkling   bay  an    island    of  classic  story  is   seen.      It    is    the 
ship    which    was    turned    into    stone    by    Neptune,    whose  masts  are  now  trees, 


.  •.      -,   «*^'./  '.'.-■.'>■.■■-'-  -^t-^-'- 


^§«.■•i»r■•■v..^'''■'^*^-v•'i. 

lif  f'i-i^  -.-         ■*       ■■  ■•-.,■ 


'••'- V 


PRISON   OF  SOCRATES,    ATHENS. 

-whose   deck    is   now  a    platform   of   rock,    and   whose   hull   rests   upon    unseen 
foundations. 

Ten  miles  south  of  Corfu  we  pass  Paxo,  of  romantic  legend.  To  the  right  is 
Parga,  which  is  associated  with  the  expression  of  Hobhouse,  "Robbers  all  at 
Parga."  The  next  island  of  the  Ionian  group  is  Santa  Maura,  the  Eencadia  of 
the  ancients,  from  whence  dark  Sappho  flung  herself  in  her  despair. 


(436^ 


WITH    EYEvS   WIDE   OPEN.  437 

Now  comes  in  sight  Ithaca,  which  Ulysses  loved,  "  not  because  it  was  broad, 

l3Ut  because  it  was  his  own,"  and  as  we  pass  Zante  the  words  of  our  own  Poe  are 

recalled: 

'  'O  hyacinthine  isle  !     O  purple  Zante  ! 
Isola  d'oro  !     Fior  di  Levante  !  " 

The  sail  through  these  island-dotted  seas  was  onl}'  too  short,  and  on  the 
second  day  we  touched  the  Italian  shore.  Although  some  years  since  we  had 
enjoyed  a  delightful  visit  to  Naples,  Pompeii  and  Vesuvius,  with  pleasure  we 
turn  our  faces  again  in  this  direction.  Especially  we  desired  to  make  another 
study  of  the  live  mountain  and  dead  city. 

In  a  Dead  City. 

With  the  exception  of  Constantinople,  no  city  in  Europe  and  Asia  is  more 
beautifully  situated  than  Naples.  From  the  northern  shores  of  the  bay  it  looks 
out  upon  a  picture  in  water-colors  that  is  world-renowned,  and  between  the  city 
and  the  chain  of  the  Apennines  smoking  Vesuvius,  with  its  lower  slopes 
studded  with  white  villages,  rises  insulated  in  the  plain,  with  the  partly  excavated 
city  of  Pompeii  in  the  meadow  below. 

Of  this  live  mountain  and  dead  city  I  desire  specially  to  speak. 

In  the  cool  hours  of  a  delightful  spring  da}^  I  took  carriage  at  Naples,  and, 
driving  along  the  crowded  quays  of  the  Marinella,  the  picturesque  old  Castle  of 
the  Carmine  and  the  Ponte  della  Maddalena  were  soon  behind  us,  and  we  w^ere 
•dashing  down  the  road  that  runs  near  the  eastern  shores  of  the  bay. 

Stretched  on  the  fences,  hanging  from  the  limbs  of  trees,  twined  about  the 
doors  and  windows  of  the  houses  and  festooning  the  tops  of  the  houses  were  miles 
and  miles  of  macaroni,  and  as  the  carriage  passed  over  the  road  Italian  boys  and 
girls  ran  in  front  of  the  horses,  turning  somersaults,  and  exclaiming,  "  Macaroni," 
"Macaroni,"  which  corresponds  to  our  beggar's  plea  for  "  bread,"  macaroni 
being  the  staff  of  life. 

The  exhibition  of  the  manufacture  of  the  stuff,  the  display  of  the  serpentine 
thing  stretching  over  everything  in  sight  and  the  din  of  the  word  from  the 
mouths  of  the  army  of  beggars  have,  I  fear,  turned  my  taste  against  a  dish  that 
has  hitherto  been  quite  palatable. 

Our  road  passed  through  the  court-yard  of  the  palace  at  Portici,  at  the  head 
of  the  bay,  and  immediately  afterward  we  enter  the  little  city  of  Resina,  where 
more  than  ten  thousand  persons  have  built  their  houses  and  enjoy  the  pleasures  of 
life  upon  the  tufa  and  lava  which  cover  the  noted  town  of  Herculaneum. 

Less  than  two  miles  out  of  Resina  we  reach  the  Observatory,  about  2000  feet 
above  the  sea,  and  close  at  hand  is  the  Hermitage,  from  which  a  magnificent  view 
is  taken  of  the  heights  of  Camaldoh,  Posillpo,  Misenum,  Ischia,  with  its  pyramid- 


438 


AROUND   THE   WORLD. 


like  Monte  Eporneo  standing  against  the  blue  Italian  skj',  and  toward  the  south 
can  be  seen  the  Monte  St.  Angelo,  with  Castellammare,  Vico,  Sorrento  and 
Massa  at  its  foot,  and  further  in  the  distance  loom  up  the  three-peaked  Capri. 

At  the  Crater  of  Vesuvius. 

Declining  to  be  aided  b}^  a  persevering  porter,  and  accompanied  only  by  a 
single  guide,  I  made  the  ascension  to  the  crater  of  Vesuvius  on  foot.  This  is  an 
experience  of  a  lifetime  and  there  is  no  temptation  ever  to  repeat  it.      For  more 


CITY   OF   NAPLES   WITH   MOUNT  VESUVIUS  IN   THE   B.\CKGROUND. 

than  two  hours  I  pressed  my  wearj^  way  through  loose  ashes  and  fresh  lava 
currents,  and  when  the  top  of  the  cone  was  reached  the  waves  of  sulphurous  vapor 
were  .so  trying  that  I  was  obliged  to  hold  a  handkerchief  over  my  mouth,  and  turn 
my  face  away  from  the  wind  to  relieve  the  stifling  sensation  produced  b}-  the 
impregnated  atmosphere.  When  I  reached  the  extreme  top  both  of  the  soles  of 
my  shoes  were  nearly  burned  off,  my  trousers  were  .scorched  in  several  places,  my 
new  Naples  hat  was  broken  in,  and  I  looked,  I  am  sure,  like  a  double  finst  cousin 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


439 


to  the  most  disreputable  tramp  that  ever  proudly  marched  in  the  ranks  of  Coxey's 
army.  At  the  circus,  when  a  wild  beast  bellowed,  an  enthusiastic  Irishman  was  heard 
to  exclaim:  "  That's  a  mighty  sound.  I'd  like  to  look  into  the  crater's  mouth." 
While  the  mumblings  and  groanings  of  fiery  Vesuvius  filled  my  ears  I  was 
prompted  by  as  laudable  an  ambition,  and  I  said  to  my  obliging  guide,  "  This  is 
a  terrible  noise  that  comes  out 
of  this  trembling  mountain. 
I  must  look  into  the  crater's 
mouth!  "  Holding  his  arm,  I 
walked  to  the  crumbling  edge 
of  the  pit  of  fire,  and  as  the 
wind  blew  the  vapor  and 
smoke  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion I  looked  down  into  this 
flaming  lake,  which  reminded 
me  of  certain  thrilling  descrip- 
tions in  Dante's  "  Inferno." 

Its  Historical  Aspect. 

Vesuvius,  which  rises 
4000  feet  in  the  midst  of  the 
plain  of  Campania,  is  about 
thirty  miles  in  circumference, 
and  on  the  west  it  is  open  to 
the  plain  of  Naples,  and  on 
the  south  its  base  is  washed 
by  the  sea.  During  the  last 
three  hundred  years  Vesuvius 
has  been  the  only  active  crater 
among  the  volcanic  group  of 
the  Ba}^  of  Naples,  and  Stom- 
boli,  the  most  northern  of  the 
Lipari  Islands,  is  the  only 
other  permanently  active  vol- 
cano in  Europe,  lying  about  seventy  miles  north  of  ^Etna  and  120  miles  southeast 
of  Vesuvius. 

Although  Strabo  describes  Vesuvius  as  a  truncated  cone,  with  a  barren  and 
ashy  aspect,  "  having  cavernous  hollows  in  its  cineritious  rocks,  which  look  as  if 
they  had  been  acted  on  by  fire,"  and  Seneca  writes  that  in  former  times  it  had 
given  out  more  than  its  own  volume  of  matter  and  had  furnished  the  channel,  not 


-.** 


GRECIAN   CADET. 


440 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


the  food,  of  the  internal  fire,  it  was  not  until  the  sixty -third  year  of  our  era, 
during  the  reign  of  Nero,  that  the  mountain  began  for  the  first  time  to  give  indi- 
cations that  the  volcanic  fire  was  returning  to  its  former  channel.  On  the  second 
month  of  this  year  the  surrounding  country  was  shaken  by  an  earthquake,  which, 
as  Seneca  informs  us,  threw  down  a  great  part  of  Pompeii  and   Herculaneum;  in 

the  following  year  another  earthquake 
occurred,  which  destroyed  a  part  of 
Naples,  and  during  the  next  sixteen 
years  these  commotions  continued  at 

intervals. 

Death  of  Pliny. 

But  it  was  on  the  twenty-fourth 
of  August,  in  the  year  79,  during  the 
reign  of  Titus,  that  the  first  eruption 
of  Vesuvius  of  which  we  have  any 
record  took  place.  It  was  this  eruption 
which  destroyed  Pompeii  and  Hercu- 
laneum and  which  caused  the  death  of 
Plinj',  the  naturalist. 

The  younger  Pliny,  in  letters  to 
Tacitus,  gives  a  description  of  the 
death  of  his  uncle  (vi.  16  and  20);  and 
says  that  about  one  in  the  afternoon 
his  mother  informed  his  uncle,  who 
was  stationed  with  the  Roman  fleet  at 
Misenum,  that  a  cloud  appeared  of  un- 
usual size  and  shape.  "  It  was  not," 
he  continues,  "at  that  distance  dis- 
cernible from  what  mountain  it  arose, 
but  it  was  found  afterward  that  it  was 
from  Vesuvius.  I  cannot  give  a  more 
exact  description  of  its  figure  than  by 
likening  it  to  that  of  a  pine  tree,  for  it 
shot  up  a  great  height  in  the  form 
of  a  trunk,  which  extended  itself  at  the  top  into  the  form  of  branches,  occasioned, 
I  imagine,  either  by  a  sudden  gust  of  air,  which  impelled  it,  the  force  of  which 
decreased  as  it  advanced  upward,  or  the  cloud  itself,  being  pressed  back  again  by 
its  own  weight,  expanded  in  this  manner.  It  appeared  sometimes  bright  and 
sometimes  dark  and  spotted,  as  it  became  more  and  more  impregnated  with  earth 
and  cinders.     This  was  a  surprising  phenomenon,  and  it  deserved,  in  the  opinion 


SOI.DIER   OK    ATHENS. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  441 

of  the  learned  man,  to  be  inquired  into  more  carefully.  He  commanded  a 
Liburman  galley  to  be  prepared  for  him,  and  made  me  an  oflfer  of  accompanying 
him,  if  I  desired.  I  declined,  as  my  studies  were  more  agreeable.  He  went 
out  of  the  house  with  his  tablets  in  his  hand. 

"  The  mariners  at  Retinae  entreated  him  not  to  venture  upon  so  hazardous  an 
undertaking.  He  sailed  immediatel}^  to  places  which  were  abandoned  by  other 
people.  He  now  found  that  the  ashes  beat  into  the  ships  much  hotter  and  in 
greater  quantities,  and  as  he  drew  nearer,  pumice  stones,  with  black  flints,  burnt 
and  torn  up  by  the  flames,  broke  in  upon  them,  and  now  the  hasty  ebb  of  the  sea 
and  ruins  tumbling  from  the  mountain,  hindered  their  nearer  approach  to  the 
shore. 

"  Pausing  a  little  upon  this,  whether  he  should  not  return  back,  and,  urged  to 
it  by  the  pilot,  he  cried  out:  '  Fortune  assists  the  brave;  let  us  make  the  best  of 
our  way  to  Pomponianus,'  who  was  then  at  Stabise." 

Destruction  of  Pompeii. 

During  this  terrible  night  he  perished. 

The  younger  Pliny,  the  historian,  gives  a  minute  description  of  the  eruption 
and  the  devastation  it  wrought.  The  crater  vomited  ashes,  red-hot  stones,  loose 
fragments  of  volcanic  materials  and  enormous  volumes  of  vapor,  which  fell  upon 
the  country  for  miles  around  in  torrents  of  heated  water,  charged  with  the  dry, 
light  ashes  which  were  suspended  in  the  air. 

Since  this  first  recorded  eruption  Vesuvius  during  every  century  has  burst 
forth  in  these  fearful  upheavals,  but  the  most  important  eruptions,  in  modern 
times,  occurred  in  the  years  1632,  1793,  1794,  1804,  1S22,  1828  and  1872, 

It  has  been  noticed  that  when  the  crater  is  nearly  filled  up  or  its  surface 
slightly  depressed  below  the  rim,  and  when  there  is  a  diminution  of  the  water  in 
the  springs  and  wells  on  the  slopes  and  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  an  eruption 
is  near  at  hand. 

A  Dead  City. 

With  a  copy  of  Bulwer's  "  Last  Days  of  Pompeii"  in  hand,  it  was  with 
thrilling  sensations  of  pleasure  that  I  passed  through  the  entrance  near  the  Street 
of  the  Tombs,  and  commenced  m}^  study  of  the  ruins  of  a  city  that  was  suddenly 
checked  in  its  life  of  gaiety  and  pleasure  by  the  fiery  monster  on  the  plain  over 
eighteen  hundred  years  ago. 

The  destroyed  city  was  itself  built  upon  the  volcanic  rocks  of  the  Campania, 
which  formed  a  peninsula,  surrounded  by  a  plain  extending  to  the  sea  on  the  west 
and  south  and  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  river  Sarno.  Although  one  of  the 
classic  writers  informs  us  that  it  was  "  a  celebrated  city,"  little  of  its  history  has 
come  down  to  us. 


442 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


At  the  time  of  its  destruction  it  was  a  commercial  town  of  about  thirty- 
thousand  inhabitants,  was  a  summer  resort  for  wealthy  Romans,  and.  in  the  year 
A.  D.  55  it  became  a  Roman  colony  under  Nero.  Cicero  had  a  villa  in  one  of  the 
suburbs  of  the  place  and  here  wrote  his  "  Offices,*' 

It  was  in  Pompeii  that   Claudius   took  refuge  from  the  cruelty  of  Tiberius, 

here  Seneca  passed  his  early 
youth,  and  it  was  in  the  am- 
phitheatre of  the  city  that 
(jccurred  a  fight  between 
the  citizens  of  Pompeii  and 
the  town  of  Nuceria,  which 
is  so  vividly  described  by 
Tacitus. 

While  the  people  of  the 
city  were  busily  engaged  in 
repairing  the  buildings  that 
had  been  injured  by  the  earth- 
quakes of  A.  D.  63  and  64, 
the  eruption  of  August  24,  79, 
completel}'  destroyed  the  city. 
Showers  of  ashes  and  pumice 
overwhelmed  the  place,  the 
roofs  of  the  houses  were  broken 
in  by  the  stones,  and  in  their 
residences  and  on  the  streets 
hundreds  of  persons  were 
killed. 

Excavations  and  Discoveries. 

Although  the  celebrated 
engineer  and  architect,  Do- 
menico  Fontana,  in  the  3'ear 
1592,  constructed  an  aqueduct 
for    conveying    the    water  of 

ATHENIAN  STREET  MERCHANT.  ^j^^  gg^j^^  ^^  ^^^^^  ^^^y    ^j^. 

nunziata  under  the  city,  passing  the  Forum  and  three  temples,  and  sinking  his  air 
shafts  over  more  than  a  mile  of  its  .surface,  it  was  not  until  the  middle  of  the 
eighteenth  century  that  the  city  was  discovered. 

While  a  peasant  in  the  3'ear  174S  was  sinking  a  well,  a  painted  chamber 
containing  statues  and  other  objects  of  antiquity  was  unearthed,  and  immediately 


WITH   EYES    WIDE    OPEN,  443 

under  the  order  of  Charles  III.  the  excavations  were  prosecuted  vigorousl}'.  A 
few  years  later  the  great  amphitheatre  was  cleared  out,  and  since  that  time,  with 
more  or  less  activit_y,  the  work  has  been  going  on. 

For  some  years  there  was  an  annual  grant  of  60,000  frs.  ($12,000)  by 
the  Italian  Parliament  for  the  prosecution  of  the  excavations,  but  whether  this 
sum  is  now  devoted  to  the  work  I  am  not  informed.  In  shape  the  town  is  an 
irregular  oval  extending  from  east  to  west  and  surrounded  by  walls  in  circum- 
ference about  two  miles. 

Streets  and    Hansions. 

The  widest  streets  are  not  more  than  eleven  feet,  not  including  the  raised 
footway;  there  were  five  principal  thoroughfares  of  the  cit}',  and  the  pavements 
are  composed  mostly  of  large  polygonal  blocks  of  lava  closely  fitted  together. 

It  is  interesting  to  trace  the  Greek  and  Roman  styles  of  architecture  among 
the  ruins  of  Pompeii.  Some  of  the  temples  retain  the  peculiar  features  of  Grecian 
architecture,  but  ita  most  cases  the  principles  of  Greek  art  have  been  corrupted  or 
cast  aside  altogether.  For  instance,  the  Ionic  capital,  which  in  Greek  architecture 
was  invariably  marked  by  its  simplicity,  is  here  loaded  with  elaborate  ornaments. 

It  is  noticeable  that  some  of  the  handsomest  mansions  have  shops  attached  to 
them,  showing  the  commercial  character  of  the  city.  There  is  a  sameness  in  the 
houses. 

Structure   of    Houses. 

The  outer  walls  of  the  ground  floor  were  stuccoed,  and  generally  painted  in 
bright  colors ;  the  upper  floors  alone  had  windows,  and  the  roof,  being  flat,  was  con- 
verted into  a  terrace  and  planted  with  vines  and  flowers,  so  as  to  form  a  pleasant 
promenade.  The  vestibule  led  into  the  court,  where  public  conferences  were  held 
by  the  proprietor;  and  the  private  apartments  of  the  house  consisted  of  a  number  of 
rooms  decorated  according  to  the  rank  and  circumstances  of  the  occupant. 

Within  the  limits  of  this  chapter  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  dwell  in  detail  upon 
the  interesting  ruins  of  Pompeii,  but  those  that  attract  particular  attention  are  the 
Forum,  the  Basilica,  the  Temples  of  Venus,  Jupiter,  Augustus  and  Neptune,  the 
Houses  of  Diomed,  Sallust,  Faun,  Castor  and  Pollux,  the  Baths,. the  Gate  of 
Herculaneum,  the  Amphitheatre  and  the  Street  of   the  Tombs. 

Antiquities. 

Among  the  many  antiquities  found  in  the  city  are  valuable  works  of  art  and 
many  objects  which  have  made  familiar  to  us  the  religion,  the  public  institutions, 
the  amusements  and  the  domestic  life  of  this  people,  but  it  is  remarkable  that 
nothing  has  yet  been  discovered  which  throws  light  on  their  literature  or  intellec- 
tual pursuits.     With  the  exception  of  a  single  papyrus  roll  and  a  few  lines  found 


444 


AROUND    THE   WORLD 


on  the  walls  of  the  Basilica,  and  a  verse  of  the  yEneid  written  on  the  wall  of  a 
private  house,  no  traces  of  ancient  literature,  as  far  as  I  can  learn,  have  come  to 
light. 

What  strange  feelings  possess  one  as  he  listens  to  his  own  footsteps  upon 
pavements  that  were  silent  for  so  many  centuries  !  Thought  lifts  the  veil  that 
hides  from  view  the  dim,  distant  past. 

Lifting  the  Veil. 

Looking  upon  the  blackened  forms  of  men,  women  and  children,  whose  warm 
blood  was  chilled  by  a  terrible  calamity  a  few  years  after  the  Apostle  Paul,  the 
Roman  prisoner,  passed  near  by  on  his  way  to  Rome  (and  some  of  whom,  perhaps, 
saw  the  chained  Christian  hero) ,  ages  seem  to  be  annihilated,  and  we  are 
brought  face  to  face  with  events  that  have  heretofore  been  to  us  onl}-  historical. 

The  gay  town  is  alive  with  the  aristocracy  of  Rome;  the  theatres  are  crowded 
with  applauding  audiences;  the  narrow  streets  swarm  with  the  brilliantly  cos- 
tumed, motley,  jostling,  laughing,  quarreling  host  of  humanity,  the  growing 
plants  wave  under  the  cool  sprays  of  the  playing  fountains  in  the  court-yards  as 
the  rich  occupants  entertain  their  guests.  Suddenly  a  crape  veil  is  drawn  over 
the  bright  face  of  the  sun,  the  artillery  of  Vesuvius  shoots  torth  missiles  of  fire 
and  death,  and  the  glory  of  gladness  passes  into  the  gloom  of  the  grave. 


PRIEST   OF   THE   GREEK   CHURCH. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A  CITY  OF  THE  C/ESARS— THE  FACTS  AND  FABLES  OF  ROME. 

S  in  ancient  times,  so  in  these  modern  da^-s,  all  the  roads  in 
Italy  lead  to  Rome;  but  how  different  the  mode  of  travel 
over  these  highwaj-s  now  and  in  the  times  of  the  Caesars! 
A  few  hours  behind  a  puffing  iron  horse,  and  we  pass  from 
the  beautiful  ba}^  to  the  turbid  Tiber.  Rome  lies  chiefly 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Tiber,  a  deep,  rapid,  muddy 
stream,  running  southward  to  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  The 
-=^  seven  hills  (actually  ten  hills)  upon  which  the  ancient  city 
was  built  are  comparatively  slight  elevations,  having  been  lowered  by  the  cutting 
down  of  their  summits  and  the  filling  in  of  their  valleys. 

The  modern  Rome  is  built  on  the  debris  of  the  old  cit}',  varying  from  ten  to 
fifty  feet  in  depth.  The  streets  of  the  city,  with  two  or  three  exceptions,  are 
short  and  narrow — many  are  crooked  and  filthy,  all  are  paved  with  small  broken 
stones,  rough,  sharp  and  hard  as  flint,  which  are  a  torment  to  pedestrians. 

The  houses  are  built  to  the  edge  of  the  streets,  generalh^  large,  three  to  six 
stories  high,  fireproof  and  stuccoed — and  nearly  every  house  is  occupied  by  several 
families  on  different  floors. 

The  plazas  or  public  squares  are  numerous,  and  many  of  them  are  adorned 
with  fountains,  statues,  monuments,  obelisks  and  arches. 

The  Pincian  Garden  deserves  special  notice.  It  crowns  a  hill  of  historic 
interest,  and  here  was  the  villa  of  Lucullus,  the  conqueror  of  Mithridates,  and  the 
grave  of  Nero.  An  ancient  parapet  wall,  lOO  feet  high,  skirts  one  side,  and  from 
the  opposite  direction  can  be  seen  a  landscape  of  surpassing  beauty. 

The  summit  has  recently  been  leveled  and  beautified  with  drives,  walks, 
trees,  shrubs,  flowers,  grottoes,  statues  and  fountains.  This  last  word  brings  to 
mind  the  fountain  of  Trevi,  one  of  the  most  wonderfully  fantastic  fountains  in  the 
world. 

As  I  came  down  one  of  the  narrow  .streets  of  Rome,  I  was  dazzled  by  sheets 
of  water,  which,  from  a  pell-mell  of  rocks,  dominated  by  a  building  covered  with 
statues,  came  tumbling,  foaming  and  sparkling  on  every  side,  to  be  engulfed  in 
cavernous  holes.  In  the  midst  of  rock-work  and  shell,  Neptune  emerges  with 
his  steed  from  the  basement  of  a  palace  to  which  this  enormous  construction  is 

(445) 


446 


AROUND   THE   WORLD. 


fixed.  From  graceful  bas-reliefs,  from  the  upper  basins,  from  the  hollow  of 
rocks  in  which  intertwine  climbing  plants  carved  on  rough  stone,  innumerable 
streams  of  all  sizes  spout  forth  on  ev^ery  side;  and  gathering  into  a  cataract  of 
pure,  limpid  water,  it  dashes  into  a  reservoir  in  which  a  small  ship  might  float. 

From   this  basin  of  crystal  water  let  us  turn  our  es'es  to  a  great  reservoir, 
long  since  left  dry,  called  the  Baths  of  Caracalla. 

These  immense  ruins,  with  their  thick  walls,  high  arches  and  vast  baths  lined 
with  mosaics,  are  located  on  the  banks  of  the  Tiber,  and  were  commenced  by 

Caracalla  in  A.  D. 

212. 

These  baths 
covered  2,625,000 
square  yards, 
nearly  a  mile 
square,  and  could 
accommodate  from 
ten  to  thirty  thou- 
sand bathers. 

These  and 
other  public  baths- 
were  the  resort  of 
all  classes,  f or 
pleasure,  business 
and  dissipation; 
and  the  influence 
of  these  gatherings 
was,  doubtless,  one 
of   the    causes    of 

the  degeneracy  of  the  Romans,  rendering  them  an  easy  prey  to  the  Goths  and 
Vandals. 

We  must  now  pass  on  to  the  historical  spot  called  the  Palatine,  round  which 
the  seven  hills  group  themselves,  and  which  is  the  primitive  site  of  Rome.  It 
was  just  here,  according  to  the  legend,  that  Romulus  and  Remus,  the  twin  .sons 
of  Mars  and  Sylvia,  were  suckled  by  a  she  wolf,  then  reared  by  the  shepherd 
Faustulus;  and  here  it  was  that  the  remarkable  Romulus  harnessed  a  heifer  and  a 
bull  to  a  plow,  and  traced  the  sacred  enclosure  of  the  city  between  the  rising  and 
going  down  of  the  sun. 

As  we  saunter  among  these  thickets  of  ruins  we  are  borne  into  the  bosom  of 
the  classic  period  of  Roman  history,  and  nearly  every  fragment  about  us  finds  its 
identity  guaranteed  by  a  citation  from  some  annalist  or  poet  of  antiquity. 


GENERAL   VIEW   OF   ROME. 


w 
S 

0 

< 
'J 


<; 

r. 


V  \-\i  ) 


448 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


Here  dwelt,   besides   the  chief  dictators,   the  Gracchi,   as  well  as  Catullus, 
Fiaccus,  Hortensius,  Catiline  and  Marcus  Tullius. 

Just  here  it  was  that  Cicero  referred  in  those  lines  to  the   Tribune  Clodius: 
"  I  will  raise  my  roof  higher,  not  from  contempt  for  thee,  but  to  veil  from  thee 

the  view  of  the  city  which 
thou  would' st  fain  have 
destroyed"" 

Below  the  roof,  and  a 
little  to  the  right,  Julius 
Caesar  established  himself 
as  soon  as  he  was  in  pos- 
session of  the  pontificate. 

Near  here  Marcus  An- 
tonius,  Claudius  Nero,  the 
father  of  Tiberius,  and 
Octavius,  the  father  of 
Augustus,  looked  from 
their  windows  upon  the 
rolling  Tiber  and  formed 
ambitious  and  cruel 
schemes. 

During  recent  excava- 
tions a  curious  and  im- 
portant discovery  was  made 
on  the  Palatine  Hill.  The 
pursuit  of  the  excavations 
brought  to  light  a  subter- 
ranean passage,  round 
which,  in  the  direction  of 
the  ancient  palace,  were  the 
leaden  pipes  for  the  con- 
duct of  water.  On  these 
pipes  we  can  read,  from 
distance  to  distance,  the 
words  IVLI^  AVG 
(Julise  Aug.).  As  the  name  of  the  owner  is  constantly  inscribed  on  pipes  of  this 
kind,  this  inscription  is  a  genuine  proof  of  ownership,  and  informs  that  the  house  in 
question  belonged  to  the  Empress  I,ivia,  Julia  Augusta,  orLivia,  widow  of  Augustus. 
This  house  is  decorated  in  the  most  brilliant  style.  One  of  the  panels  con- 
tains a  fanciful  landscape,  in  which  trees,  terraces  adorned  with  statues,  bridges 


INTERIOR   OF  CHAPEL   ON   THE  SPOT  WHERE   ST. 
WAS   CRUCIFIED. 


PETER 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


449 


thrown  out  into  space,  rookeries  and  flowing  water  make  up  a  scene  that  would 
delight  a  Japanese;  in  the  foreground  three  ducks  are  coming  out  of  an  aquatic 
grotto,  leaving  long  furrows  in  the  water. 

Some  of  the  rooms  are  enriched  by  thick  garlands  of  flowers  and  fruit  suc- 
ceeding one  another 
in  festoons  and 
bound  with  rib- 
bons; and  others 
contain  paintings 
of  rare  delicacy, 
much  of  the  fresh- 
ness of  the  coloring 
being  presen,'ed. 

But,  on  the 
Palatine,  nothing 
interested  me  more 
than  Nero's  Fo- 
rum, the  outline  of 
which  has  been 
identified  by  arch- 
aeologists. There 
we  see  a  portion  of 
the  wall,  there  the 
bench  of  Council- 
lors, the  imperial 
judgment  seat,  and 
there  is  the  pris- 
oner's seat. 

We  know  that 
Paul  was  tried  be- 
fore Nero.  This 
was  his  Forum,  and 
perhaps  just  here 
the  Apostle  to  the 

Gentiles  stood.  As  we  cross  the  Tiljer  to  visit  St.  Peter's  and  the  Vatican  on  the 
western  side,  we  approach  the  famous  castle  of  St.  Angelo,  connected  with  so 
manv  outrages  and  factions  that  desolated  Rome,  but  most  interesting,  perhaps, 
because  of  the  fact  that  in  one  of  its  gloomy  cells  the  beautiful  Beatrice  de  Cenci 
lingered  for  many  months;  and  near  its  massive,  frowning  walls,  on  the  ninth  of 
September,  1599,  she  was  beheaded. 
29 


ALTAR   TO   THE   UNKNOWN   GOD,    ROME. 


450  AROUND]  THE   WORLD 

There  are  380  Catholic  churches  in  Rome.  As  the  Virgin  Mary  is  the  goddess 
of  the  Romans,  we  are  not  surprised  that  many  of  these  are  dedicated  to  her;  and 
costly  gifts  of  gold,  silver  and  precious  stones  are  laid  on  her  altars. 

The  object  of  universal  attraction  in  Rome  is  St.  Peter's,  the  largest  and  most 
famous  church  in  the  world. 

That  the  circus  of  Nero  should  be  the  site  of  the  greatest  church  in  Christen- 
dom is  a  suggestive  fact. 

As  you  stand  at  the  opening  on  the  wide  plaza  and  look  toward  the  immense 
dome,  you  are  struck  with  the  unity  of  so  vast  a  construction,  which  was 
commenced  in  1450  and  continued  over  two  centuries  and  a  half. 

The  approach  to  the  church  is  made  through  a  colonnade,  semi-circular  in 
form,  composed  of  284  columns,  set  in  four  rows,  and  leaving  between  them  a 
central  passage  for  carriages. 

Beautiful  fountains  and  the  imposing  obelisk  of  Caligula  adorn  the  centre  of 
the  plaza. 

The  facade  or  front  of  the  church,  357  feet  wide  and  144  feet  high,  is  a 
disappointment.  It  conceals  the  fine  proportions  of  the  remainder  of  the  building^ 
and  destroys  the  effect  of  the  magnificent  dome.  Let  us  enter.  In  Italy  they  do 
not  shut  the  churches  by  a  system  of  small  doors.  Giving  a  literal  interpretation 
to  the  saying:  "My  Father's  house  is  always  open,"  the}-  are  content  with  a 
curtain.  In  passing  through  the  doorway  of  St.  Peter's  you  push  aside  a  large 
double  leather  curtain,  with  lead  at  the  foot  of  it. 

You  enter  as  if  3'ou  miraculously  made  a  hole  in  the  wall  which  instantly  and 
noiselessly  closed  up. 

You  are  now  dazzled  with  a  mass  of  splendor,  as  5'ou  face  the  nave,  600  feet 
long,  100  feet  wide  and  nearly  450  feet  to  the  ceiling  of  the  dome.  The  floor  is. 
paved  with  marble  of  various  colors;  the  walls  are  adorned  with  pictures  in  mosaic 
and  statues  in  full  or  in  bold  relief,  all  of  colossal  size. 

On  either  side  of  the  nave  there  are  five  or  six  chapels  used  for  ordinar}- 
worship,  and  each  is  as  capacious  as  one  of  our  good-sized  churches. 

The  Cathedral  can  contain  60,000  people.  Within  these  walls  we  can  count 
44  altars,  748  columns,  and  a  council  of  389  statues. 

There  are  three  objects  of  leading  interest. 

We  pass  the  bronze  statue  of  St.  Peter,  revered  by  Roman  Catholics  more 
than  any  statue  in  the  world;  and  to  be  convinced  of  the  attention  paid  it,  you 
need  only  look  at  the  toe,  which  has  been  polished  bright  by  the  kisses  of  the 
devotees. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  nave  the  eye  is  attracted  to  the  front  of  the  ma.ster- altar, 
at  the  foot  of  which  are  the  eighty-seven  lamps  perpetually  burning  on  the  circular 
balustrade  of  the  confessional,  where  it  is  said  the  body  of  St.  Peter  lies. 


WITH    EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


45 1 


Before  the  altar  over  the  grave  onl}'  the  Pope  says  mass. 

Above  the  altar  is  a  most  elaborately  decorated  canopy  supported  by  four 
twisted  columns,  ninety  feet  high,  made  of  bronze,  brought  from  the  Pantheon. 
All  Catholics  regard  it  as  a  great  privilege  to  worship  at  this  confessional.  Just 
beyond,  in  the  midst  of  a  glory,  the  chair  of  St.  Peter  is  pointed  out  to  you.  It 
is  supported  by  four  colossal  figures  of  bronze  and  gold,  which  represent  two 
fathers  of  the  Latin  and  two  of  the  Greek  Church. 

The  chair  that  you  look  upon  is  only  an  outside  case,  containing  the  curate 
seat  of  Egyptian 
wood  f  a  c  e  d  with 
ivory,  which  is  said 
to  have  been  given 
by  the  Senator  Pru- 
dens  to  his  guest, 
the  Apostle  Peter. 
The  Vatican  (from 
Vates,  a  prophet, 
because  here  was 
believed  to  have 
been  the  site  of  the 
Etruscan  d  i  v  i  n  a  - 
tion)  is  the  palace 
of  the  Popes,  and 
is  located  near  St. 
Peter's. 

It  is  not  one 
building,  but  a 
group  of  buildings, 
dating  from  differ- 
ent periods,  but  as 
.such  it  is  the  largest 
palace  in  the  world, 
1 1 5 1    feet    long    by 

767  wide,  containing,  it  is  said,  1 1,000  rooms.  Ju.st  here,  we  have  reason  to  think, 
were  the  gardens  of  Nero,  where,  as  Tacitus  writes,  he  put  to  death  "an 
immense  multitude"  of  Christians,  on  the  groundless  charge  of  setting  fire  to 
Rome,  and  in  awful  mockery  nailed  them,  clad  in  garments  dipped  in  pitch,  upon 
.stakes,  and  set  fire  to  them.  They  tellj'ou  that  St.  Peter  was  crucified  here.  The 
apartments  occupied  by  the  Pope  are  very  plain.  Immediately  above  them  are  the 
rooms  of  the  Cardinal  Secretary  of  State. 


THK    VATICAN,    ROME. 


452  AROUND    THE    WORLD 

The  Sistine  Chapel,  built  in  1473,  is  the  most  famous  of  the  apartments  of 
the  Vatican;  doubtless,  because  of  the  fact  that  the  ceiling  and  altar  wall  were 
frescoed  by  Michael  Angelo.  Upon  the  ceiling  he  put  his  wonderful  series  of 
pictures  from  the  Old  Testament,  extending  from  the  first  day  of  the  creation  to 
the  prophets:  and  upon  the  altar  wall  is  the  famous  fresco,  "  The  Last  Judgment." 

The  loggia  (lodja)  and  stanza,  different  parts  of  the  Vatican,  are  associated 
with  the  genius  of  Raphael,  who  painted  and  designed  them. 

The  largest  collection  of  antique  statuary  in  the  world  is  found  in  the  Vatican; 
and  such  masterpieces  in  painting  as  Raphael's  "Transfiguration  "  and  Titian's 
"  Madonna  and  Saints  "  may  be  studied  within  its  walls. 

The  Vatican  Library  contains  more  than  100,000  printed  books;  but  that 
which  raises  it  above  all  other  collections  is  the  value  and  number  of  its  manu- 
scripts. Of  these,  there  are  over  27,000.  Most  precious,  perhaps,  of  the 
treasures  of  the  Vatican  is  the  Codex  Vaticanus,  designated  B.  It  is  written 
on  759  leaves  of  very  fine  vellum  (X.  T.  covers  142  of  them)  in  small  uncial 
letters  in  three  colums  of  42  lines  each  to  a  page,  tea  inches  by  ten  inches  and 
a  half. 

It  was  carried  to  Fi'ance  by  Napoleon  I.,  but  restored  after  his  fall. 

Besides  this  there  are  18  Slav  manuscripts,  10  from  China,  22  from  India, 
13  from  America;  80  in  Coptic  and  i  from  vSamaria;  72  from  ^Ethiopia;  590  of 
Hebrew  origin  and  459  of  Sj^rian;  64  from  Turke}-;  787  from  Arabia  and  65  from 
Persia,  illustrated  with  fine  miniatures.  In  the  great  libraries  of  the  world  like 
the  Bodleian  at  Oxford  and  the  library  in  the  British  Museum  you  are  overwhelmed 
lay  the  sight  of  the  great  mass  of  books,  which  are  piled  up  over  5-our  head 
in  endless  walls;  at  the  Vatican,  on  the  contrary,  3'ou  do  not  see  a  single  volume. 
The  collection  is  under  cover  of  a  multitude  of  .shut  and  gilded  presses. 

But  we  must  cross  the  Tiber  again  and  stand  for  a  moment  in  a  bit  of  narrow 
vallej^,  which  was,  within  small  compass,  the  most  imposing  spot  in  the  universe, 
perhaps. 

Here  gathered,  during  the  turning  points  of  Roman  history,  the  brains  of  the 
Roman  Empire;  here  dramas  have  been  unfolded,  which  threw  both  light  and 
shadow  upon  more  than  one  empire.  The  entire  histor\^  of  the  most  renowned 
of  people  worked  itself  out  on  the  scene  of  the  Roman  Forum,  the  .soul  and 
sanctuary  of  Rome.  We  know  where  the  Forum  was;  jjut  only  a  portion  of  the 
place  has  been  exposed  by  excavations;  much  of  this  historic  spot  is  still  co-\-ered 
by  four  and  twenty  feet  of  ruins. 

It  was  at  the  entr}'  of  the  Forum  where  we  now  stand,  that  the  Piso  lived 
whom  Agrippina  accused  of  having  poisoned  Germanicus;  and  it  was  there  where 
he  was  assassinated,  Tacitus  tells  us,  at  the  instigation  of  Tiberius,  who  was  com- 
promised in  the  matter. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


453 


What  wondrous  events,  on  a  scene  as  narrow  as  that  of  a  play-house,  from 
the  days  since  Brutus  showed  there  the  dagger  of  Eucretia  and  Virginius  bought 
in  the  shops  north  of  the  Forum,  down  to  the  memorable  occasion  when  the  curia 
was  burnt  before  the  liody  of  Ca?sar.  Just  here  was  delivered  some  of  the  greatest 
orations  of  ancient  times;  just  here  were  enacted  scenes  in  Roman  history  that 
told  both  upon  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  Roman  Empire. 


KXCAVATIONS    OF    THIC    lUKUM,     ITAI.V. 

Every  step  brings  before  you  memorials  of  life  and  death;  ever}'  broken 
monument  is  an  eloquent  tongue,  telling  still  the  tale  of  mighty  deeds  and  faded 
glory;  every  crumbling  wall  seems  to  open  before  you,  and  through  its  black 
bosom  comes  forth  great  spectres  of  history,  that  remind  us  of  the  decay  and 
death  of  human  honor,  hopes  and  happiness. 

Passing  along  the  via  Sacra  under  the  celebrated  Arch  of  Titus,  leaving  the 
Arch  of  Constantine  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  remains  of  the  pool  in  which  the 
gladiators   washed    after    their    bloody    combats,    on    the    other,    we    reach    the 


454 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


Coliseum,  regarded  by  many  as  the  most  august  and  imposing  ruin  in  the  world. 
Excepting  the  Pyramids  of  Egypt,  the  world  agrees  in  this  opinion. 

It  w-as  commenced  by  Vespasian  in  A.  D.  72,  and  completed  by  Titus  after 
liis  return  from  the  conquest  of  Jerusalem.  Twelve  thousand  Jews  were  employed 
in  its  construction.  The  exterior  was  adorned  by  three  rows  of  columns,  Doric, 
Ionic  and  Corinthian,  some  of  which  are  in  excellent  preservation.  It  is  about 
620  feet  long,  513  feet  wide,  157  feet  high,  1641  feet  in  circuit  and  could  accom- 
modate 100,000 
persons.  There  are 
four  stories  of  dif- 
erent  orders  of 
architecture,  and  it 
is  open  at  the  top. 
Here  it  was  that 
Ignatius  was  mar- 
tyred ;  here  many 
early  Christians 
were  beheaded, 
burned  and  torn  to 
pieces  by  wild 
beasts. 

Another  scene 
of  quite  a  different 
character  is  recalled 
to  mind  as  we  look 
i;pon  this  arena, 
the  death-bed  of  so 
many  Christians. 

Beneath  the 
ancient  R  o  m  e, 
along  the  fifteen 
consular    roads 

%vhicli   radiated  from  the  capitol  as  centre,    there  existed  in  the  early  centuries 
twenty-six  great  catacombs,  which  answer  to  the  number  of  parishes  at  that  time. 
Pagan  Rome  was  simply  mined  by  these  underground  cemeteries,  there  being 
360  miles  of  winding  ways  among  the  ashes  and  skeletons  of  the  dead. 

It  is  estimated  that  these  leagues  of  galleries  contain  no  less  than  six  million 
of  the  dead. 

Passing  through  a  wild  garden  some   two  miles  from  the  heart  of  Rome,  we 
descended  some  thirty  steps,  and  penetrated  a  series  of  narrow  corridors,  one  after 


TllK    t.  1  il^lMa^M,     KOMI', 


WITH    EYES   WIDE   OPEN.  455 

another,  cut  at  right  angles  and  intricate  like  a  net-work  of  lanes.  With  taper  in 
hand,  following  an  old  bent  monk,  we  walked  for  hours  through  these  strange 
caverns  of  the  dead. 

The  use  of  catacombs  as  cemeteries  long  preceded  the  Christian  era.  Pliny 
informs  us  that  the  practice  of  incineration  was  not  very  ancient,  and  that  many 
great  families  had  preserved  the  custom  of  bur3-ing  the  dead. 

Salust  had  under  his  garden  catacombs,  with  chambers  for  the  dead.  Moving 
through  these  narrow,  low  and  never-ending  passages,  where  the  air  is  made  thick 
by  the  smoke  of  torches,  the  tombs  of  martyrs  and  heroes  draw  one's  attention 
specially.  It  is  easy  to  make  these  out,  for  when  the  grave-makers  closed  them, 
they  fastened  in  the  cement  by  the  side  of  the  head  a  narrow-necked  vessel  of 
glass  in  which  the  blood  of  the  confessor  had  been  collected.  You  can  see,  on 
nearly  ever}'  hand,  the  mark  and  often  the  fragments  of  these  vessels.  When 
the  martyrs  had  been  drowned,  burned  or  put  to  death  without  spilling  of  blood, 
then,  in  sealing  up  the  burial  place,  the  workman  with  the  point  of  his  trowel 
drew  in  the  fresh  mortar  a  rude  sketch  of  a  palm  tree,  and  a  number  of  these  are 
to  be  seen. 

Occasionally  we  recognize  the  calcined  bones  of  a  martyr  burnt  alive,  and  it 
sometimes  happens  that  the  bones  are  crystallized  to  such  a  degree  as  to  shine.  In 
the  Catacombs  of  St.  Callistus  the  paintings  are  more  numerous  than  in  any  other. 
You  frequently  see  the  anchor,  the  dove,  the  ship,  the  fish,  whose  Greek  name 
recalls  that  of  Christ  and  furnishes  the  initials  of  the  formula:  "  Jesus  Christ,  Son 
of  God,  Saviour  "  (Ir^aoj^  Xrnazo^  " dzov  '}?'<  I'cozrjo)  and  many  other  sj^mbols. 
Some  of  the  epitaphs  are  very  interesting.  One  in  Greek  reads  thus:  "  Here  was 
laid  to  sleep  Gorgonius,  whom  all  loved  and  who  hated  none."  Here  is  one  in 
Latin:  "Too  soon  hast  thou  fallen,  Constantia:  Admirable  for  beauty  and  for  her 
charms,  she  lived  18  3^ears  6  months  and  16  days.     Constantia  in  peace." 

Over  a  picture  of  a  man  swinging  a  pickaxe  the  following  inscription  can  be 
traced:   "  Diogenes  the  Grave-digger,  in  Peace." 

But  we  must  blow  out  our  tapers  and  stand  in  the  sunlight  before  the  most 
perfect  ruin  in  Rome. 

The  Pantheon,  finished  b}-  Agrippa  just  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  is  fronted 
by  a  portico,  which  rests  on  sixteen  enormous  monolithic  columns  of  oriental 
granite,  crowned  by  the  finest  capitals,  which  Rome  has  bequeathed  to  us. 
Beneath  the  magnificent  dome  the  bodies  of  Raphael  and  \^ictor  Emmanuel  rest, 
A  monument  raised  at  the  dawn  of  the  age  of  Augustus,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
Republic  must  be  regarded  with  great  interest;  but  we  must  hurr>-  on.  We  have 
•only  time  to  glance  at  the  celebrated  Tarpeian  Rock,  which  forms  the  southern 
portion  of  the  Capitoline  Hill,  and  from  whose  rugged  height  it  was  customary  to 
hurl  persons  condemned  for  treason;  and  the  imposing  looking  house  of  Rienzi, 


456 


AROUND   THE   WORLD 


the  last  of  the  Tribunes,  whose  crusade  recalls  to  one's  mind  the  Gracchi,  the 
Brutuses  and  the  Scipios,  as  we  make  our  way  toward  the  most  famous  highway, 
spoken  of  in  the  profane  and  sacred  history.  Appius  Claudius,  after  digging  the 
first  aqueduct  to  direct  the  waters  of  Praeneste  on  Rome,  opened  and  paved  what 
is  known  as  the  Appian  Way,  310  years  before  our  era.  This  road  is  broad  and 
very  straight,  with  remains,  quite  visible,  of  paths  and  open  spaces  in  Gothic 
pavement.  The  grass  is  green  on  the  way,  but  the  track  of  this  most  splendid  of 
all  historical  promenades,  remains  definitely  marked  with  melancholy  grandeur, 
by  two  avenues  of  mausoleums  in  ruins,  in  every  shape  and  size,  which  may  be 
counted  by  thousands.     Seneca's  tomb  is  here  pointed  out.     From  the  last  chapter 

of  Acts  we  have  rea- 
son to  think  that  on 
some  of  the  stones  of 
this  highway  the  feet 
of  the  Apostle  Paul 
pressed,  on  his  way  to 
^ome  and  to  a  mar- 
tyr's  death.  Tihe 
place  where  the  great 
Apostle  was  tried,  the 
cell  in  which  he  was 
imprisoned,  and  the 
place  of  his  execution 
are  all  pointed  out  by 
your  agreeable  and 
instructive  guide. 

Before   turning 

Irom   these   scenes 

which  recall  so  many 

facts  and  fables  that  are  weaved  into  the  history  of  Rome,  let  us  mount  a  noble 

terrace,  near  the  spot  where  St.  Peter  is  said  to  have  been  crucified,  and  take  a 

general  view  of  the  city  and  its  surroundings.      As  described  by  another  : 

' '  Rome  is  only  a  foreground  of  the  picture,  for  the  view  extends  toward  the 
north  over  the  plains,  reaching  as  far  as  the  Apennines.  Toward  the  southeast  at 
the  foot  of  the  Alban  mountains  it  embraces  those  plains  of  the  old  Latium,  where 
many  a  heroic  battle  was  fought  and  won.  The  sun,  ready  to  set  behind  us  in  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  inflamed  with  its  twilight  purple  the  domes,  towers,  pinnacles, 
and  palaces,  as  well  as  the  volcanic  mounds  scattered  at  the  foot  of  the  chains  and 
over  the  plateaux.  Between  these  two  extreme  points,  the  blue-tinged  moun- 
tains, the  city  glowdng  and  ruddy  in  the  midst  of  the  bronze  zone  of  its  Byzantine 


TEMrLE   OF   MINERVA,    ROME. 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


457 


walls,  lay  stretched  before  us  a  mixture  of  verdure  and  russet  outlines,  the  country 
crossed  by  aqueducts,  covered  by  ancient  villas,  and  pierced  by  long  roads  of  old 
renown,  marked  out  and  lined  with  tombs. 

"  The  yellow  Tiber  winds  at  our  feet  like  a  track  of  sand;  going  up  toward  the 
horizon  it  melts  on  one  side  in  the  azure  of  the  sky,  on  the  other   in  the  fires  of 
the  setting  sun. 

' '  We  now  leave  this  museum  of  all  ages.  It  may  look  with  indifferent  eye 
upon  our  revolutions,  upon  our  institutions  of  a  day:  its  glory,  which  has  already 
defied  so  many  ruins,  will  see  new  ones,  but  it  has  not  to  dread  the  fainting 
memory  of  men.  So  long  as  society  stands  Rome  will  remain  the  Urbs,  the  city 
of  cities,  the  native  land  of  arts,  the  sanctuary  of  incomparable  memories,  the 
home  of  a  people  whose  character,  whose  history,  whose  destiny  stand  unique 
through  the  current  of  the  centuries." 


CHAPTER  XXV 


GENOA    AND  GIBRALTAR. 

S  one  approaches  Genoa  by  sea  he  can  readily  imagine  why  she 
was  called  Genoa  la  Snperba,  when  she  was  in  the  height  of 
her  power. 

From  the  deck  of  A'our  steamer,  for  miles  awa}-,  through 
}Our  marine  glasses,  you  can  see  the  city  rising  like  an 
amphitheatre,  with  its  two  converging  moles,  its  encircling 
fortifications,  its  piles  of  palaces,  its  promenades  and  gardens 
and  the  verdureless  summits  of  the  Apennines  and  the  ice- 
covered  peaks  of  the  Alps  in  the  background. 

On  closer  examination  you  find  that  it  is  one  of  the  best  fortified  cities  of 
Europe,  for  not  only  is  the  large  semicircular  harbor  defended  by  moles,  but  the 
•city  is  entirely  surrounded  by  a  double  wall,  the  smaller  encircling  the  inner  cit}- 
lay  ramparts,  detached  forts,  redoubts  and  extensive  outworks. 

Although  I  had  visited  the  cit}'  some  years  since,  I  decided  to  .spend  another 
week  within  her  walls,  .studying  more  carefully  her  people  and  palaces. 

Nearly  all  of  the  streets  are  narrow,  irregular  and  steep,  paved  with  smooth 
.slabs  of  lava,  with  a  pathway  of  different  material  in  the  centre  for  beasts  of 
burden:  but  certain  modern  .streets  are  wide,  well  paved  and  compare  favorably 
with  the  chief  thoroughfares  of  other  commercial  cities.  Man^^  of  the  palaces  do 
laot  retain  their  former  artistic  riches,  but  they  all  display  splendid  architectural 
■designs  and  the  internal  and  external  frescoes  are  well  worth  studying. 


The  Palaces  of  the  Doges. 

The  Palazzo  Doria,  overlooking  the  .sea,  constructed  in  1529  b}-  the  renowned 
Doria,  prince  of  Melfi,  while  it  is  almost  abandoned,  retains  striking  evidences  of 
its  past  beauty  and  richness;  and  the  ducal  palace  restored  in  1778  after  designs 
by  Simone  Carlone,  formerlx-  the  depository  of  famous  works  of  art,  is  elaboratel}^ 
decorated,  and  gives  one  a  vivid  idea  of  the  glory  of  the  reign  of  the  Doges. 

As  my  room  was  located  a  .short  distance  from  the  via  Doges,  which  is  lined 
on  both  sides  with  the  palaces  of  these  old  rulers,  my  mornings  were  spent,  under 
the  direction  of  a  competent  guide,  in  visiting  these  magnificent  buildings. 

You  step  immediately  from  the  street  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  palace, 
which  is  composed  of  a  wide,  handsomely  paved   passage-way,  with  large   rooms 

U58) 


WITH    EYES    WIDE   OPEN. 


459 


<C)n  either  side,  and  over  winding  stairways  you  ascend  to  a  number  of  floors, 
where  the  chambers  occupied  by  the  royalty  are  still  in  excellent  preservation. 

One  of  these  palaces  is  now  used  as  the  hall  of  the  town  council,  where  a  bust 
and  autograph  letters  of  Columbus,  the  violin  of  Paganini  and  other  interesting 
•objects  are  shown. 

Wall  paintings  and  elaborate  room  decorations  were  very  popular  during  the 
reign  of  the  Doges,  and  some  of  th'ese  that  are  on  exhibition  in  these  palaces  on 
the  via  Doges  cannot  be  excelled  in  the  world. 

The  Republic  of  Genoa. 

In  legendary  traditions  the  history  of  Genoa  can  be  traced  to  a  time  preceding 
the  foundation  of  Rome,     At  the  beginning  of  the  second  Punic  war,  Livy  men- 


^A^-oRA^rA  of  c.t.sox. 

tions  it  as  having  friendly  relations  with  the  Romans,  and  during  this  war,  having 
been  destroyed  by  a  Carthaginian  fleet,  the  Romans  rebuilt  it,  and  it  afterward 
became  a  Roman  miinicipium . 

Because  of  its  location  Genoa  has  been  in  all  these  centuries  the  centre  of  the 
severest  struggles  on  land  and  by  sea.  During  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  republic 
its  internal  commotions,  caused  hy  the  parties  of  the  plebeians  and  patricians  and 
the  external  warfare  in  which  it  has  been  so  often  engaged  with  neighboring  and 
•distant  enemies,  have  been  sources  of  continual  perils  and  distractions. 


46o  AROUND    THE    WORLD 

Party  struggles  assitnied  such  a  bad  shape  during  the  first  half  of  the 
fourteenth  century  that  the  dogate  for  life  was  instituted  (1339)  with  the  exclusion 
of  both  parties.  But  there  were  ceaseless  quarrels  between  the  Doges  and  anti- 
Doges  under  the  Viscontis  of  Milan  and  under  the  rule  of  France,  until,  in  1528, 
the  celebrated  Admiral  Andrea  Doria  delivered  the  republic  from  the  French  and 
established  a  new  constitution,  which  lasted  for  many  years. 

This  form  of  government  was  strictly  aristocratic,  and  the  nobilit}^  comprised 
the  Grimaldis,  Fieschis,  Dorias,  Spinolas  and  many  others  whose  names  are 
familiar  to  the  student  of  Italian  history.  The  Doge  was  elected  for  two  years, 
but  the  power  of  the  State  had  long  since  departed  and  the  beginning  of  the  end 
was  fast  approaching. 

Its  Hodern  History. 

The  first  year  of  this  century  Genoa,  under  Massena,  sustained  a  siege  by 
the  Austrians  and  English,  but  the  Austrians,  who  held  it  for  a  short  while,  were 
obliged  to  relinquish  it  after  the  battle  of  Marengo. 

After  the  coronation  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  at  Milan,  the  last  of  the  Doges, 
Durazzo,  went  to  that  city  and  expressed  the  desire  of  the  people  for  a  change  in 
government.  The  republic  was  merged  in  the  French  Empire  and  formed  the 
three  new  departments  of  Genoa,  Montenotte  and  the  Apennines. 

This  century  has  witnessed  many  bloody  struggles  and  many  political 
vicissitudes  in  the  province  of  Genoa,  and  the  picturesque  cit}'  on  the  gulf  is 
associated  with  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  of  the  age. 

Reminiscences  of  Qaribaldi. 

In  i860,  Garibaldi,  the  Italian  patriot,  entered  Sicily  with  1000  volunteers. 
Palermo  and  Messina  were  soon  taken,  and  he  became  dictator  of  the  island.  In 
his  attacks  upon  Austria  he  came  in  collision  with  his  own  government,  and  we 
find  him  soon  afterward  planning  his  well-known  invasion  of  Rome. 

His  career  in  the  sixties,  his  association  with  Victor  Emmanuel  and  the 
subsequent  change  in  the  Italian  government  are  of  too  recent  occurrence  to  need 
special  mention. 

Perhaps  it  is  not  generally  known  that  after  his  banishment  from  Sardinia, 
Garibaldi  came  to  New  York  in  the  summer  of  1850  and  earned  a  living  by  making- 
candles  in  a  manufactory  on  vStaten  Island  until  he  resumed  his  occupation  of  a 
mariner.  Some  years  later  he  returned  to  New  York  in  command  of  a  Peruvian  bark, 
and  in  1867,  when  he  was  imprisoned  during  one  of  his  raids  in  Italy,  he  protested 
as  an  Italian  deputy,  audit  was  an  American  citizen  who  effected  his  release. 

While  he  was  planning  his  attack  upon  Rome,  an  excited  crowd  gathered  in 
one  of  the  plazas  in  Genoa  determined  to  compass  his  death,  and  I  saw  the  little 


WITH   EYES    WIDE   OPEN. 


461 


shop  into  which  Garibaldi  entered,  and  having  exchanged  his  uniform  for  the 
dress  of  the  shopkeeper,  passed  out  through  the  maddened  muhitude  and  made 
good  his  escape. 

It  is  a  source  of  great  interest  and  pleasure  to  leisurely  saunter  through  the 
narrow,  overshadowed  streets  of  old  Genoa;  to  look  up  the  long  vista  of  the  lanes 
and  alleys,  where  the  protrud- 

V 


ing  bay  windows  nearly  touch 
each  other;  to  catdi  the  scent 
of  the  numerous  roof  gar- 
dens, where  the  poorest  fam- 
ilies have  their  brilliant  flowers 
and  graceful  vines,  and  to 
drop  into  an  old  curio  shop 
here  or  a  studio  of  a  strug- 
gling, but  gifted  artist  there, 
and  deal  in  small  barterings 
or  still  smaller  chat.  All 
Italians  are  willing  to  sell,  but 
they  are  anxious  to  talk. 


Home  of  Christopher 
Columbus. 

In  one  of  my  walks 
through  Genoa  I  found  in  a 
most  circuitous  little  street  the 
house  owned  for  a  while  by 
the  parents  of  Christopher 
Columbus,  and  where  a  brief 
period  of  the  great  explorer's 
boyhood  was  spent.  It  is 
marked  appropriately  over  the 
door,  and  while  I  was  trans- 
lating the  Italian  sentences, 
from  the  neighboring  houses 
a  number  of  well-informed 
persons  saluted  me,  and  within  a  short  time  I  was  the  receptacle  of  a  fund  of 
information  that  I  am  sure  would  have  been  startlingly  novel  to  Christopher 
himself. 

Standing  upon  the  deck  of  the  magnificent  German  Eloyd  steamer  "  Kaiser 
Wilhelm   II."    we  waved    adieu   to  our  kind   friends  of  Genoa   on  a  beautiful 


COLUMBUS    MONUMENT,    GENOA. 


462  AROUND   THE   WORLD 

morning,  and  passing  over  the  calm  waters  of  the  gulf,  as  the  crown  of  the  queenl>'- 
city  was  lost  to  view,  we  turned  our  course  toward  Southern  Spain. 

Strait  of  Gibraltar. 

The  Mediterranean  was  on  its  best  behavior,  and,  in  due  time,  we  were  iti 
the  swift  current  of  the  Strait  of  Gibraltar,  which  connects  the  Atlantic  and  the 
Mediterranean  and  lies  between  the  southernmost  part  of  Spain,  from  Cape 
Europa  to  Cape  Trafalgar,  and  the  African  coast  from  Centapoint  on  the  east  to- 
Cape  Spartel  on  the  west.  The  extreme  length  of  the  strait  is  about  thirty-six 
miles,  and  the  narrowest  point  is  only  nine  miles. 

It  is  estimated  that  the  greatest  depth  of  the  water  is  960  fathoms,  and  where 
the  two  continents  are  close  together  there  is  a  strong  central  current,  from  three 
to  five  miles  an  hour,  setting  in  constantly  from  the  ocean  to  the  sea.  TwO' 
smaller  currents,  one  along  each  shore,  ebb  and  flow  with  the  tide,  passings 
alternately  into  the  Atlantic  and  the  Mediterranean. 

Both  nature  and  art  have  done  much  to  make  Gibraltar  the  most  impregnable 
citadel  in  the  world.  The  great  rock  forms  a  promontory  three  miles  long  from 
north  to  south,  and  about  seven  miles  in  circumference.  It  is  connected  with  the 
mainland  of  Spain  by  a  flat,  sandy  isthmus  not  more  than  one  and  a  half  miles- 
long  and  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide.  Across  this  strip  of  land  two  rows  of 
sentry  boxes  mark  the  Spanish  and  English  lines,  the  "neutral  ground"  being: 
the  space  between  them. 

The  Fortress. 

The  material  of  the  rock  is  gray  primary  limestone  and  marble.  Its  highest 
point  is  between  fourteen  hundred  and  fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the  sea.  The 
north,  east  and  west  sides  of  the  rock  are  .so  steep  as  to  be  nearly  inaccessible;  and 
it  is  perforated  by  a  large  number  of  caverns,  man}'  of  which  cannot  be  easih- 
entered  and  show  remarkable  formations. 

The  view  of  Gibraltar  from  the  sea  would  lead  }ou  to  infer  that  it  was 
entirely  barren,  but  upon  closer  inspection  you  find  that  its  surface  is  covered  by 
acacia,  fig,  orange  trees,  a  large  variety  of  odoriferous  plants  and  numerous  wild, 
shrubs.  It  is  said  that  the  only  wild  monkeys  in  Europe  are  found  here,  and  alL 
those  seen  were  of  a  fawn  color  and  tailless. 

The  value  of  Gibraltar  as  a  strategic  point  caused  it  to  be  a  bone  of  contention 
during  many  centuries.     Under  the  Spanish  crown  it  was  so  fortified  as  to  be 
regarded   as  impregnable;   but  in  1704  it  was  taken  by  a  combined  effort  of  the 
English  and  Dutch  fleet,  and  it  was  confirmed  to  Great  Britain  by  the  treaty  of 
Utrecht. 

vSince  this  time  besiegers  from  different  nations  have  brought  to  bear,  both  by 
land  and  sea,  all  the  resources  of  war  against  the  rock,  but  the  "  Union  Jack'*' 


WITH   EYES   WIDE   OPEN. 


463. 


has  floated  victoriously  over  the  crash  of  the  cannonading  and  the  boom   of 
bombardment  after  bombardment. 

A  Necessity  for  England. 

To  the  casual  obsersj-er  it  is  apparent  why  England  prizes  this  position.  It  is- 
the  key  to  the  Mediterranean;  and  as  a  coaling  station,  a  depot  for  war  material 
and  a  port  of  refuge,  it  is  a  necessity  for  Great  Britain  in  connection  with  her  East 
Indian  possessions. 

A  garrison  of  from  four  to  six  thousand  men,  at  an  annual  expen.se  of  more 
than  a  million  of  dollars  is  supported  here,  and  it  is  quite  impossible  to  tell  how 


GIBRAI,T.\R. 

many  thousands  of  pounds  are  appropriated  every  now  and  then  to  .strengthen  this 
watch  tower  on  her  highway  to  Egj'pt,  Ceylon,  Australia  and  India. 

The  sides  of  the  gigantic  rock  are  honej'combed  with  connecting  caves, 
supplied  with  cannon,  commanding  every  approach  by  land  and  sea.  Many  of 
the  natural  caves  are  used  to  fortify  the  place  more  strongly,  but  nature  is  aided 
by  every  appliance  of  military  art. 

Guns  are  stationed  in  secret  places,  and  on  certain  parts  of  the  rock  no  one  is. 
allowed  to  go  -except  the  officers  and  regiments  in  charge. 

I  was  pointed  to  a  beautiful  .spot,  where  the  verbenas,  the  heliotrope  and 
blooming  heath  bedecked  the  rock,  and  behind  these  flowers  I  was  informed  there 
was  a  screened  battery— brazen -throated  cannons  awaiting  to  crush  the  flowers  of 
nations  in  times  of  war. 


464 


AROUND    THE    WORLD. 


The  Town. 

There  is  nothing  specially  attractive  about  the  town  of  Gibraltar.  It  lies  ou 
a  shelving  ledge  on  the  west  side  of  the  rock.  The  main,  or  Waterport  street,  is 
well  paved  and  lighted.  The  principal  buildings  are  the  residences  of  the 
governor  and  lieutenant-governor,  the  admiralt}',  naval  hospital  and  storehouses; 
and  during  your  walk  on  the  chief  thoroughfare,  as  you  pass  English,  Portuguese, 
Moors,  Spaniards,  Italians  and  Maltese,  you  are  impressed  by  the  mixed  character 
of  the  population. 

Among  the  many  caves  to  be  seen  St.  Michael's  is  the  largest  and  mo.st 
interesting.  It  is  more  than  a  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level  and  contains 
_great  halls  and  chambers  sixty  feet  high  and  two  or  three  hundred  feet  long. 

The  rioorish  Castle. 

But  to  the  student  of  antiquity  nothing  on  Gibraltar  possesses  more  attraction 
than  the  old  Moorish  castle  that  is  located  halfway  up  the  steep  precipice  on  the 
west  side  of  tlie  rock. 

For  more  tJian  scA-en  hundred  }-ears  the  Moors  held  sway  over  Gibraltar;  and 
this  old  relic  of  the  barbaric  ages  stands  here  alone  as  a  grim  reminder  of  their 
power  and  prowess. 

In  girdling  the  globe,  Spain  was  the  last  country  visited,  and,  after  touching 
some  of  the  picturesque  islands  washed  by  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic,  with 
inexpressible  joy  and  gratitude,  after  so  many  months  of  peril  and  pleasure  in 
.studying  the  wonders  of  the  world,  I  took  my  course  toward  the  land  of  my  love 
with  the  words  of  De  Belloy  on  my  lips  and  in  my  heart:  "  The  more  I  saw  of 
foreign  lands,  the  more  I  loved  my  own." 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 

Travel 

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